Adventist Heritage Academy, a missionary school owned by one of the oldest missionary institutions in Nigeria, has fully embraced the Rugby Rising Initiative, a development project implemented in partnership with World Rugby, Rugby Africa, and the Nigeria Rugby Football Federation (NRFF).

The school is among the first in Ibadan, Oyo State, to open its doors to the sport by creating an enabling environment for students and sports officials to actively participate in rugby development.

About 40 students from the school are currently taking part in structured training sessions aimed at encouraging more girls to take up the sport as part of the Rugby Rising Project. The school’s sports director and coach  also participated in a “Train-the-Trainer” programme organized by the NRFF late last year to prepare instructors ahead of the initiative.

Speaking on the students’ response, the school’s Sports Director, Happiness Abasi, expressed gratitude to World Rugby, Rugby Africa and the NRFF for creating opportunities for the girl-child.

“You can see the enthusiasm from the students. They are excited about the sport and the enabling environment created by the school. This will have a ripple effect on the number of students who will embrace rugby. I am excited about this project and confident that Ibadan will become a breeding ground for rugby in Nigeria,” Abasi said.

The Principal  of the school, Mr Ogunwole F.A also expressed delight at the opportunity the programme provides, especially for female students.

“Most times, the girl-child does not get equal opportunities in sports, but this initiative has changed that. For holistic development, education and sports must go hand in hand, and that is what we are embracing at Adventist Heritage Academy. We are creating a platform for our children to grow psychologically and physically. Rugby has opened new possibilities for our girls, and the sky is the limit for them,” she stated.

Rugby Rising Supervisor, Hussain Wuraola, commended the school for its commitment and the facilities provided for students and teachers.

“What the school has done is commendable. The facilities made available have eased our work and made implementation much easier. We are excited about working with this school and other interested schools across Oyo State. Our target is to exceed expectations,” she said.