Victorious Barewa Rugby FC clinched the maiden edition of the Atlantic Rugby 7s tournament over the weekend after beating Cowrie RFC 19–0 at the final played in Lagos. Dominating the game at Rugby School Nigeria, Eko Atlantic City, Victoria Island, Barewa battled for possession, defended stoutly, and scored with ruthless efficiency.
On the women’s side, AJ Sharks defeated Edo Queens 7–0 to lift the trophy. They won the game by dominating their opponents with organized defense and quick attacking plays. A lot of passion for the men’s and women’s rugby was to help promote the growth of rugby and build stronger home games across the country.
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“The competition was organized to give our players playing time,” the General Manager of the Nigeria Rugby Football Federation (NRFF) said. We are rebuilding domestic rugby, and tournaments like this will go a long way to provide playing time for our athletes.”
Boosting the Popularity of Rugby
Ladipo said the competition served as a platform for the international rugby tournament slated for later in the year. In Nigeria, next to football and cricket, rugby is extremely popular, and continues to get more coverage and attention on media channels, including social media and betting sites in Nigeria.
“This competition affords us the opportunity to spot talents that can be called to play for the country in the international tournament,” Ladipo added. The federation is already making preparations for the Africa Rugby Sevens tournament, which will be held later in the year in Mauritius.”
Eleven teams representing the federation competed in the tournament. Kano, Rivers, Edo, Ogun, and Lagos states had teams that participated in the competition, while the Nigerian Police Force also fielded a team.
Nunayon Travih, Director of Sport at the Lagos State Sports Commission, believes the tournament aligns with the Lagos vision for youth development through sports.
“The introduction of the rugby sevens tournament is timely as the Lagos State Sport Commission is focusing on youth development through sports,” Travih said. “This will allow the young ones to start very early and widen the pool,” he said, stressing that early introduction of the sport would help deepen grassroots development.”
He said plans were underway by the state government to bring rugby to secondary schools in Lagos.
