By Tolulope Oguntimehin 

The President of the Nigeria Rugby Football Federation (NRFF), Dr. Ademola Are, recently visited Hon. Kunle Soname, Chairman and owner of ValueJets airline, to express gratitude for his invaluable support to the federation.

During the visit in Ikenne, Ogun State, Dr. Are presented a recognition award to Hon. Soname, acknowledging his significant contributions. He emphasized the challenges the federation would have faced without Soname’s support and urged him to continue aiding the national teams and the federation.

"I can't imagine how difficult things would have been for the federation if you had not come through for us. You are like a breath of fresh air at this critical period, and we appreciate your support and efforts in making rugby a household name in Nigeria," said Dr. Are.

In response, Hon. Soname appreciated the delegation's visit, saying, "Anyone who knows how to say thank you would receive more favors. I really appreciate your visit, although I would have said you didn't need to do this. Your effort shows you value our collaboration and partnership."

He added, "Sports is the opium of the masses, and in an evolving nation like Nigeria, with the majority of the population being youth, it is essential to support projects and ventures that can engage and empower them."

Nigeria is set to participate in several international competitions in 2024, as outlined by the African Rugby Body. The Stallions will compete in the Men’s Africa Cup in Mauritius, featuring 12 teams including Kenya, Uganda, Zimbabwe, and others, in June or July 2024.

Additionally, the Men’s 15s team will participate in the Rugby Africa Cup Repechage tournament in Morocco from November 7th to 18th, featuring teams such as Zambia, Madagascar, Ghana, and Tunisia. The tournament will begin at the quarter-final stage, with the winners promoted to the Rugby Africa Cup.

The Rugby Africa Cup currently includes Namibia, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Algeria, Uganda, Ivory Coast, Senegal, and Burkina Faso and will take place in Uganda. The last-placed team will be relegated to the Rugby Africa Cup Repechage.