The British High Commission Kampala (BHC Kampala) has made a significant contribution to the development of age grade rugby in the country. The commission on Saturday donated rugby equipment to several age grade rugby teams in the country via the Uganda Rugby Union (URU).
The kits handover took place at Kyadondo Rugby Club and was preceded by a friendly match between Kyadondo RFC U-17 and Rams RFC U-17.
The equipment included boots, balls, shinguards and jackets meant to support about 300 players in the U-17 category in the country.
Marcella Winearls, Head of Public Diplomacy and Strategy at the British High Commission donates said; “we recognize the importance of supporting future stars in the infancy of their sports careers because they are the future stars of this country. Rugby is one of the fastest growing sports in Uganda and this is our way of being part of their journey to success, demonstrating our support to the youth and giving them the basic items they need to perform at their best.”
URU intends to disseminate the items to teams from community centres and regional upcountry teams, largely comprising of youth from communities.
URU Vice President Technical Hon. Andrew Ojok expressed his delight with this development noting that; “we are grateful to the British High Commission Kampala for this contribution. Rugby players a number of challenges at foundation level, with lots of stars platinum with inadequate equipment, often times without the basic shoes which can demoralize them. This contribution will excite them and give them more impetus to focus on their skills and talent to become great stars.”
“Our mandate as URU is to create a development pathway for these youngsters to get to the national team and this support aligns with our vision and we look forward to continued partnerships with the British High Commission Kampala to continue the development of the sport’s pathway programs.”
This development signals a robust partnership between the British High Commission Kampala and the country’s rugby governing body that seeks to improve rugby development across the country and nurture talented players.
The move is also aimed at promoting unity and inclusivity through sports, particularly among young people in the country. It is an excellent display of good corporate citizenship on the part of the British High Commission Kampala.
Undoubtedly, this gesture will go a long way in advancing the growth and development of age grade rugby in the country and pave the way for a future crop of excellent players in the sport.
