Ghana, Nigeria rugby debut President's Cup

The respective Presidents, Ghana Rugby Football Union (Ghana Rugby) (http://GhanaRugby.org/), and the Nigerian Rugby Football Federation (NRFF), Messrs Herbert Mensah and Kelechukwu Mbagwu, have announced the creation of an annual President's Cup that will be played on a home-and-away basis.

The first will be played this year between two President XV teams of the rugby nations on 27 April, 2019 in Accra, Ghana and on 4 May in Lagos, Nigeria.

The 2019 President's Cup will also form part of the preparations of Ghana and Nigeria for the 2019 Rugby Africa Silver Cup scheduled to take place in Nigeria between Ghana, Nigeria, Botswana and Madagascar from 6 to 17 June, 2019.

According to Mensah, a principle decision was reached between himself and Mbagwu in Marrakech, Morocco during the 13th General Assembly of Rugby Africa to kickstart possible wider international cooperation with the President's Cup.

"Everybody knows that the tournament structure of Africa rugby falls short to give Africa rugby nations enough match exposure to 'breed' the next Rugby World Cup participants besides for South Africa and Namibia. Even Rugby Africa has asked members to seriously look at friendly internationals between regional states."

According to Mbagwu, Nigeria and Ghana have had a long and exciting history of sports rivalry.

"It's been the very best of rivalries, the rivalry between Siblings. I remember those epic Nigeria/Ghana soccer matches, the Green Eagles against the Black Stars, and the Nigeria/Ghana sports festival when Modupe Oshikoya ran against Alice Annan. Those are the thrilling images I see when I think of this new Nigeria/Ghana tussle.

“Ghana have set themselves an extremely high bar with their dynamic and vital president, Herbert Mensah, leading the way, but when we get on the field it will be a different story. Long live the Nigeria/Ghana detente."