BREAKING: Former Asante Kotoko chairman Herbert Mensah elected President of Rugby Africa |

Former Asante Kotoko chairman Herbert Mensah- currently the President of Ghana Rugby Football Union- has been elected the new President of Rugby Africa as prioritizing ‘alternative team sport, gain financial independence and improve the World Rugby Elite Program’ become the main agendas.

The elections took place in Cape Town, South Africa at the Annual General Meeting on Saturday 18th March. With the game pushing up from ground, the new President aims to make Rugby one of the competing sports in Africa that is dominated by football.

Other sports in Africa basketball, volleyball and tennis are attaining sensational recognition and not only that but strong financial support as well across the world. Hebert Mensah echoes that it is the time for Rugby to make such significant presence in Africa and the world at large.

Making Rugby an alternative team sport is such a movement taken by ‘The Basketball African League’ (BAL) which has already began in Rwanda’s capital Kigali and will be participated in Egypt and Senegal as well with the competition attracting huge coverage in its third season.

The BAL has made many developments since its season 1 and now gradually turning into a popular African sport. Rugby will be happy to have this kind of popularity and attract sound sponsorship with new President Hebert Mensah having a huge tasks to achieve that.

About Rugby Africa

Created in 1986, Rugby Africa (www.RugbyAfrique.com), previously the African Confederation of Rugby (Confédération Africaine de Rugby – CAR), is one of the six regional associations composing World Rugby (www.WorldRugby.org), the international organization responsible for the governing of Rugby Union and Rugby Sevens. Rugby Africa unites all African countries which play rugby union, rugby sevens, and women’s rugby. Rugby Africa organizes the qualifying competition for the Rugby World Cup, and Africa Sevens, a qualifying competition for the Olympic Games. Rugby Africa has 39 members unions.

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. He guided Ghana Premier League record holders and 2-time CAF Champions League champions Asante Kotoko to many success in football.