After years of neglect, schools rugby is making resurgence with several private schools and government schools being coached the rudiments of rugby.
The schools will play seven -a - side “touch” rugby. In ‘’touch rugby” a two handed a touch replaces a full contact tackle. When a player in possession of the ball is touched by both hands above the waist by a member of the opposing team the referee blows the whistle and the ball is handed to the opposition who begin play again from the spot of the touch.
Head of Youth Development at the Nigerian Rugby Football Federation NRFF, Chuchu Ejikeme, said the Federation decided to have the schools play touch instead of full contact rugby because the kids are still learning the game and they want them to play without fear and get a feel for the game before introducing full contact rugby.
In October the International Rugby Board,IRB, sent a development team to Nigeria and coached twenty nine school coaches from around the country,putting them through the IRB Level One coaching programme, at two clinics in Lagos and Kaduna.
According to an international survey published by Mastercard last year, rugby has been growing faster in Africa than anywhere else on the planet with the number of players growing by thirty percent since the 2007 IRB World Cup.
In Nigeria, Promasidor, the manufacturers of Cowbell Milk, sponsor the “I-Try” rugby development programme at 35 Lagos schools. Developing schools rugby has become a major focus for the IRB and NRFF especially since the announcement by the International Olympic Committee that sevens rugby will be the new team sport at the 2016 Olympics.
Chief Executive Officer, Jide Afolabi, says rugby builds character and instils values such as teamwork, discipline, respect for the laws and match officials and respect for the opposition,adding that governments across the world see and schools rugby as a vital part of a healthy school curriculum.
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