Nigeria's Rugby Team Off To African Rugby Cup In Botswana.

Nigerian Rugby Team To Botswana.

A team of twenty five Nigerian rugby players and four officials have  departed the country on Thursday for the African Rugy 15's Cup in Botswana billed to start over this weekend till next Sunday.

The Squad which comprises of Nigerian United Kingdom based professional rugby players and home based players will confront, Cote D'Ivoire, on Sunday, Botswana and Mauritius subsequently.

Chief Coach of the Nigerian Rugby team, Steve Lewis, ho joined the team three months ago, said he was confident that the crop of rugby players at his disposal would make impact at the tournament because they are exposed to level rugby competitions.

"We have budden talents though we do not have enough time for preparations.The quality of the teams chnages because the game is layed once a year.It is very difficult to know the quality of you oppositions.Am confident that giving the talents will now have both players from within Nigerian and Nigerian in exile in United Kingdom, we could make significant impact at the tournament"

Lewis, said the challenges of not being a ble to converge at a choice venue to train as a team would jeopardise the team's committment and determination to outplay its oppositions, Cote D'Ivoire on Sunday in their fist outing, adding that the team's technical crew wold film and review matches of Botswana and Mauritius so as to understand their style of play.



"We do not real play Ivory Coast.In terms of game no,study our opposition.W e don't reall have that in the opening game.We would be able to observe the next two oppositions during the tournament.We are going to films match, review it and be prepared for them.It is a mixed team of tree or four guys in the squad who are playing or just finished playing top level professional rugby in England.We do have some guys who play in Nigeria but who are exposed to top level competitions"

On the Olympic Games, the coach said Nigeria stood a chnace to feature in the rugby event of the 2020 Olympic Games, adding that it would be hard for the team to qualify for the 2016 as the International Olympic Committee had already shortlisted twelve Rugby playing nations.

The team captain, David Akinkuyi of Cambridge University, England, said they were working hard to amke history in the African Rugy 15's Cup in Botswana by returning home with the tournament's trophy.

"On one part is has to do with our performance on the pitch and off the pitch, our speed, physical, intelligence and agility, the other part is how we build a strong team.Yon cannot win except you all work as a team together.We are working very hard to see how we can know each other better.So if someone is running, someone else knows he has to support him, so what we have left is to develop our understanding.

"The strength of the team is that we come together and understand that we are here to represent our nation and our aim i to win for Nigeria, Akinluyi said."