The Ghana Rugby Football Union (GRFU) will host the annual finals and 3rd place playoffs this weekend on Saturday 18 February 2017 at the Accra Sports Stadium.
The Rugby family in Ghana is in great anticipation of the clash between the giants Cosmos Buffalos RFC and Conquerors SC who will face each other in the finals that is scheduled for kick-off at 2pm on Saturday.
Buffalos ruled the domestic championship for many years but were displaced as champions by Conquerors in the 2015/16 season. Many see this as a revenge match that will be fiercely contested.
Griffons RFC and Lions RFC reached the semifinals of the 2016/17 Ghana Rugby Club Championship (GRCC) but were beaten by the finalists and will face each other in the 3rd Place Playoff that is scheduled for kickoff at 11am.
According to the President of Ghana Rugby, Mr Herbert Mensah, the dream will always be to take the Ghana Eagles, the national Rugby team, to the Rugby World Cup.
“Strong national teams are only possible if there is a strong and keenly contested domestic league with strong and growing Clubs as foundation for the national team,” Mr Mensah said.
According to the Tournament Commissioner, Mr Steve Noi, the finals and 3rd place playoff is the culmination of many weeks of “blood, sweat and tears” by ten teams who competed on a pool basis in Accra and CentWest.
He added that, “The GRCC is the flagship men’s 15s tournament in Ghana and the GRFU is working very hard to have a domestic competition in 2018/19 that will include both women and juniors.”
The captain of Cosmos Baffalos, Michael Ako Wilson, said they are not surprised at the fact that Buffalos are once again in the finals of the GRCC.
“We are not surprised but we are in the competition to enjoy ourselves and to test our level of improvement. Winning the much sought after GRCC trophy will be fantastic, but that is not what it is all about,” Wilson said.
Mr Lovemore Kuzorera, head coach of Conquerors, said that rugby is more than just a sport to his team but that it is a lifestyle.
“Rugby is a fantastic sport that, in the words of our President Mr. Herbert Mensah, is a builder of character due to its foundation of values that underlie the game, namely integrity, passion, teamwork, discipline and respect, “he said.
Mr Kuzorera said that Conquerors will obviously go full out to beat their rivals, Buffalos, but it will always be done in a spirit of sportsmanship and solidarity.
The event will also host a women’s 7s match that will be played at 1pm between the 3rd place playoff and the finals.
Rugby Union is the second biggest sport in the world after football. The Rugby World Cup in 2015 enjoyed a global audience of 120 million plus viewers and more than 6.6 million players across 120 countries participate in rugby on a regular basis.
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