Sports News of Saturday, 18 March 2023

Source: footballghana.com

Ex-Asante Kotoko chairman Herbert Mensah elected President of Rugby Africa

Herbert Mensah Herbert Mensah

Former Asante Kotoko chairman, Herbert Mensah has been elected as the new President of Rugby Africa.

The elections took place in Cape Town, South Africa at the Annual General Meeting.

Mr Mensah will run the affairs of Rugby Africa for the next four years as its executive President.

Herbert Mensah who is currently the President of Ghana Rugby Football Union has taken over from Khaled Babbou and will lead Rugby Africa for the next four years.

Mensah said, "As we embark on this journey, I want us to project rugby as an alternative team sport, gain financial independence and improve the World Rugby Elite Program. My aim is to make Rugby Africa the gold standard for sports administration in the African continent."

Rugby fans across the continent would be delighted by Mensah's vision, which aims to raise the level of African rugby internationally. Mensah added, "My vision for the next four years is to foster an all-inclusive competition framework that will provide members equal opportunities to grow and develop. I am also determined to build a positive and strong brand for Rugby Africa, expand the women's rugby program, and provide a national stadium for each member association."

Mr Mensah's progressive development of Rugby in Ghana and in compliance with world rugby standards over the past years gained greater recognition in 2019 when he was appointed a member of the Africa Rugby Executive committee.

In Ghana, Herbert Mensah, who has been President of Ghana Rugby union for the past two years, in compliance with a World Rugby youth development program "Get Into Rugby" focused on recruiting, training, coaching and inspiring the next generation of young women rugby players in Ghana through basic schools.

The new President of Rugby Africa’s vision is to build a positive and strong brand for Rugby Africa, and to make rugby more accessible and visible to all Africans, in particular the youth, while ensuring that there is an increase in continental competitions and greater support for member associations in terms of how they are structured and in the economic development of the sport.

Herbert Mensah is famously known to be championing assistance for the May 9 disaster victims in Ghana every year.