Funding of Rugby drives Ghana Stakeholder Congress
The 2020 Ghana Rugby Stakeholder Congress (GRSC) was called by the Board
that was elected on 4 February 2020 during an early election Special
General Meeting
ACCRA, Ghana, February 25, 2020/ -- The golden thread throughout the Ghana Rugby (http://GhanaRugby.org) 2020 Stakeholder Congress (GRSC) (https://bit.ly/39UQRBg) was the Union’s ability to fund its operations in light of the increased demands brought about by its rapid development.
Mr James N.A. Nunoo, Vice President and Board Member of Ghana Rugby,
acted as Chairperson of the GRSC and expressed his hopes that the
Congress will result in constructive inputs for the revised strategic
direction of Ghana Rugby.
In the opening address Mr Herbert Mensah, President and Board Chairman
of Ghana Rugby, said that Ghana Rugby has come a long way since its
previous Stakeholder Congress in 2014.
“Since 2014 when we started with a clean slate an enormous lot has
changed. The changed “State of Ghana Rugby” is demanding huge sums of
money and the situation where the President is playing banker for the
Union is not sustainable. The stakeholders of Ghana will have to find a
solution in 2020 to change the funding model of the Union, or the Union
may be heading for a disaster,” Mensah said.
Referring to the recent grant of US$ 100,000 by the Ministry of Youth
and Sports as awarded to Ghana Rugby by HE President Nana Akufo-addo,
Mensah said that the camping and preparations for the 2020 Rugby Africa
Cup alone will require more that US$ 75,000 leaving very little for all
the other programmes.
The 2020 Ghana Rugby Stakeholder Congress (GRSC) was called by the Board that was elected on 4 February 2020 during an early election Special
General Meeting (SGM).
More than 45 Ghana Rugby stakeholders included representatives from the
Regional Associations and their Members, Clubs, as well as members from
the media. The GRSC was held at the Ghana Rugby secretariat in Osu,
Accra.
Following the President’s opening address South Africa based Board
Member, Mr Rian Malan, ran stakeholders through the developments since
2014 and provided an overview of the governance structure of the Union.
“World Rugby acknowledged the rapid growth of Ghana Rugby in a
documentary, and unfortunately the expenses to run the Union rose even
more rapidly while the growth in income did not keep tread with that.
Funding Ghana Rugby is indeed the biggest challenge facing us,” Malan
said.
Mr Steve Noi, Board Member and Tournament Commissioner, gave an overview of the Ghana Rugby ‘Get Into Rugby’ (GIR) youth development programme
and concluded that the 10,000 plus new participants exposed to the Game
of Rugby in 2019 is likely to increase significantly.
“Our youth development programme is at the heart of our mission of being “Builders of Character” and of the Ghana Eagles of tomorrow, but the
growth in the GIR activities will demand additional resources that are
just not there at this moment,” Noi said.
The ‘Women in Ghana Rugby’ Programme was outlined by Ms Rafatu Inusah,
Board Member and Women’s Representative of Ghana Rugby. Inusah also
acknowledged the role of Hajj Abdul Samad Said, who also attended the
GRSC, in introducing her to Rugby.
Inusah also said, “I believe that the Ghana Rugby Ladies will be the
team that will take Ghana to the global stage of rugby before our men
will do that, but that will require a substantial increase in funding.”
The structure of domestic competitions and the planned expansion to new
competitions in 2020 and 2021 was overviewed by General Secretary Mr
Bismark Amponsah.
“The running and funding of the domestic competitions is the
responsibility of the Regional Associations and their members, the
Clubs. Contrary to previous years this responsibility will not be taken
off their shoulders in 2020 and no time should be wasted in starting
with fundraising strategies and plans,” Amponsah said.
Head Coach Lovemore ‘Dallas’ Kuzorera briefly touched on the
international performance of the Ghana Eagles and said that all plans
are underway to improve on the performance of the men’s and women’s
sevens Ghana Eagles in 2020, but that the men’s fifteens team will be
facing its biggest challenges of all times in 2020.
“We will be facing Zimbabwe on 20 June 2020 in Zimbabwe and Tunisia in
Ghana on 4 July 2020. They are respectively ranked 35th and 39th by
World Rugby while Ghana is in the 87th position. The new Rugby Africa
Cup will be a true test of character for the Ghana Eagles,” Kuzorera
said.
Kuzorera further stated that the participation in the women’s 15s and
U20s Rugby Africa tournaments in 2021 and the preparation for that will
put further strains on the financial needs of the Union.
Board Member in charge of Judicial Affairs, Mr Chester Anie, said that
proper conduct should not really require codes as we all know what
constitutes right and wrong.
“All people all over the world are subject to laws, rules, regulations
and codes of conduct. So are we as Rugby Family and ignorance is and
will never be an excuse. Given the financial challenges that the union
is facing I will not look kindly on unnecessary transgressions in 2020
and beyond. Be warned,” Anie said.
Newly appointed Board Member: Corporate Affairs and Sponsorships, Ms
Erica Amoako, advised Ghana Rugby Bodies to respect the needs of
professionalism required by corporate institutions.
“Companies are selective with whom they associate with and with whom
they are prepared to linked up with. We need to project the right image
in everything we do and show corporates that their association with
Ghana Rugby will have positive returns,” Amoako said.
Amoako also stressed the need for Clubs to get their house in order so
that they can become financially fully independent and to enable them to pay the affiliation fees that have up to now not been enforced.
The financial state of Ghana rugby was presented by Malan on behalf of
the Ghana Rugby Auditors and he indicated that the audited financial
statements from 2016 to 2019 clearly shows a growing deficit between
revenue and expenses that is being financed by the President, Mr Herbert Mensah.
“The 2019 Audited Accounts states an indebtedness of more than 1.8
million Ghana cedis to the President and given the increased demands on
the Union this is likely to increase if the Ghana Rugby Family does not
change course with regards to funding quickly and decisively,” Malan
said.
The GRSC was concluded with group sessions where four key questions
about the funding of the Union’s programmes were discussed. Various
suggestions were proposed during the feedback sessions, including the
introduction of affiliation fees by players, clubs and regional
associations.
The organisers of the GRSC concluded proceedings by saying that the
inputs from the GRSC will be used in the compilation of a new Blueprint
that will be put to Regional Associations and their Members, the Clubs,
for their approval.
About Ghana Rugby:
Ghana Rugby (http://GhanaRugby.org) is the official full member of both World Rugby (2017) and Rugby Africa in Ghana-West Africa and is responsible for the management and
development of the Game Rugby Union in the country. The Union is
governed by a Constitution and administers five KPAs (Key Performance
Areas) namely: (1) Youth Development & Growth through the World
Rugby “Get Into Rugby” Programme, (2) Women in Ghana Rugby, (3) Training & Education, (4) Domestic Competitions and (5) International
Performance.
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