Rugby, the world’s second most popular global sport, is increasingly becoming a beacon of unity, empowerment and opportunity across Africa.
KIGALI, Rwanda – The 2024 Rugby Growth Conference, organized by World Rugby (www.worldrugby.com), concluded on August 31, 2024, in Kigali, Rwanda, highlighting the immense potential and pivotal role of rugby in Africa’s socio-economic and cultural landscape. Bringing together delegates from 15 African Rugby Unions, this keyevent demonstrated the sport’s rapid expansion and the strategic importance of its development across the African continent.
Rugby, the world’s second most popular global sport, is increasingly becoming a beacon of unity, empowerment and opportunity across Africa. The 2024 Rugby Growth Conference emphasized that now is the time to invest in the sport, as it continues to gain momentum across the continent. As African nations embrace the sport, rugby is poised to contribute significantly to community building, education and the socio-economic development of regions.
The four-day capcity building conference, hosted by World Rugby, in collaboration with Rugby Africa (www.RugbyAfrique.com) and the Rwanda Rugby Federation (RRF) (www.rwandarugby.com), provided a platform for knowledge sharing and strategic planning aimed at fostering sustainable growth for rugby in Africa. Participants engaged in critical workshops focused on grassroots programs, such as Get Into Rugby 2.0, succesfully presented by Mauritius Rugby Federation (https://mauritius.rugby) and an introduction to T1 Rugby, the world first noncontact sport that emobides key attributes of Rugby.
Particpants also engaged in sessions on safeguarding awareness, the visibility of rugby’s positive stories across Africa and community impact initiatives, through successful casestudies from Senegal ,(https://www.senegalrugby.com),and Cote d’ Ivoire demonstrating the influence of rugby unions embrace to empower and develop the youth within their communities.
Delegates from 15 countries, including Algeria, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Eswatini, Ghana, Mauritius, Morocco, Namibia, Nigeria, Senegal, Zambia and host Rwanda, participated in discussions and workshops designed to equip them with the strategic tools necessary for expanding rugby’s reach and impact. The Union Management Programme offered insights into membership growth and management strategies, while the Participation Workshop focused on developing sustainable growth initiatives tailored to the unique challenges and opportunities in Rugby across Africa.
The conference emphasized rugby’s growing importance in Africa, not just as a sport but as a vehicle for community development, social cohesion and youth empowerment. As rugby continues to gain traction across the continent, the insights and strategies developed during the 2024 Rugby Growth Conference will play a crucial role in shaping the future of the game in Africa.
“Rugby requires a fundamental mindset shift—it’s a game rooted in voluntarism, something we do out of love, whether playing with kids or growing the game at the grassroots. Yet, sport is big business, and it’s all about building relationships. Watching the commitment of the delegates at the 2024 Rugby Growth Conference, it’s clear that rugby is about people.Growth and retention is what it’s all about and the unions are the champions of that growth. From the first day of this conference, I was amazed by the brilliance and innovative ideas within this room. We have a dream, and it starts with a change in mindset that sport is big business. Our chief executives and governance must step up to attract the investment needed to take rugby to the next level. I want to extend my deepest gratitude to the Rwanda Rugby Federation,World Rugby and participating unions for their commitment. As well as a thank you to Rwanda for their support in hosting the 2024 Rugby Growth Conference, bringing together 15 unions across Africa,” stated by President of Rugby Africa, Herbert Mensah.
Media contact:
Nicole Vervelde
Communications Advisor
nicole.vervelde@rugbyafrique.com
About Rugby Africa:
Rugby Africa (www.RugbyAfrique.com) is the governing body of rugby in Africa and one of the regional associations under World Rugby. It unites all African countries that play rugby union, rugby sevens, and women’s rugby. Rugby Africa organizes various competitions, including the qualifying tournaments for the Rugby World Cup and the Africa Sevens, a qualifying competition for the Olympic Games. With 39 member unions, Rugby Africa is dedicated to promoting and developing rugby across the continent. World Rugby highlighted Ghana, Nigeria and Zambia as three of the six emerging nations experiencing strong growth in rugby.
