The Ghana Rugby Association, operating as the Ghana Rugby Football Union, is the governing body for rugby union in Ghana. It is a member of Rugby Africa and a full member of World Rugby since 2017.
Herbert Mensah presidency - since 5 June 2014
Prior to his appointment as President of Ghana Rugby, Mensah was appointed to the executive of the Greater Accra Rugby Association (GARA) in May 2014.Graphic Online."Build infrastructure to promote rugby — Herbert Mensah", Accra, 10 May 2014. Retrieved 2 April 2015. At the occasion, he stressed the importance to build infrastructure to motivate the youth and to grow the game of rugby in Ghana. On assuming office, his first priority was to order an assessment of the state of rugby in Ghana by his board members. He travelled to Dublin to meet with officials of World Rugby to seek guidance on the development of Rugby in Ghana.GhanaWeb. "President of Ghana Rugby meets with IRB" , Accra, 1 July 2014. Retrieved 4 April 2015. The meeting was followed up with a meeting, also in Dublin, with the Rugby Africa Development Manager.Peace FM Online. "Ghana Rugby President Meets With IRB Africa Development Manager" , Accra, 29 September 2014. Retrieved 4 April 2015.
He also met with various stakeholdersJoy Online. "Ghana Rugby to consult stakeholders as it finalises blueprint", Accra, 7 August 2014. Retrieved 4 April 2015. including regional associations, clubs, playersPeace FM Online. "Ghana Rugby Players Association To Address Stakeholder Forum" , Accra, 25 August 2014. Retrieved 4 April 2015. and the business community.Peace FM Online. "Rugby Stakeholders Embrace Changes In Ghana" , Accra, 18 August 2014. Retrieved 4 April 2015.
On Friday, 29 August 2014, Mensah convened a Ghana Rugby Stakeholder Forum in Accra, where the Ghana Rugby Blueprint was presented.Peace FM Online. "Ghana Rugby Family Concludes Forum Successfully" , Accra, 3 September 2014. Retrieved 4 April 2015.
He also arranged training sessions for both coachesGhanaWeb. "Herbert Mensah commends first rugby coaches training in Ghana" , Accra, 22 July 2014. Retrieved 4 April 2015. and referees to improve the quality of the sport in Ghana. The coaches' training conducted by Mr David Dobelagsport. "Springbok Coach Happy with Camp". Retrieved 4 April 2015. of South Africa was described as a historical event for Ghana Rugby as it was the first time in 11 years that coaches were trained on both Level 1World Rugby. "Level 1 Coaching - Introducing Rugby” . Retrieved 4 April 2015. and Level 2World Rugby. "Level 2 - Developing Rugby Skills” , Retrieved 4 April 2015. for rugby union and SevensWorld Rugby. "Difference between Fifteens and Sevens" . Retrieved 4 April 2015. coaching.
Based on his consultations with both World Rugby and Rugby Africa, Mensah realised that a stumbling block in the way of Ghana Rugby to become a full member of World Rugby was the successful completion of a successfully run local league by at least ten clubs. He immediately mobilised his resources,Peace FM Online. "Ghana Rugby Clubs Meet With Board To Plot Local League” . Retrieved 4 April 2015. and planned and completedGhanaWeb. "Cosmos Buffaloes crowned 2014/2015 Champions of Ghana Rugby", Retrieved 4 April 2015. the first professionally run Ghana Rugby Club Championship (GRCC).
One of Mensah's major challenges as president of Ghana Rugby remains funding the sport and he has initiated various activities including a raffle ticket drive.Joy Online "Cuzzy Bro's to support Ghana Rugby development”, 25 September 2014. Retrieved 4 April 2015. He also managed to get corporates such as Accra Brewery, Interplast Ghana , Vodafone Ghana and Zen Petroleum involved in supporting Ghana Rugby. In collaboration with the Vodafone Ghana management team he staged a management motivational event using the values and principles of rugby to help Vodafone prepare its management for year ahead.My Joy Online. " "Vodafone trains senior staff to succeed using management principles from Rugby", 20 March 2015. Retrieved 4 April 2015.
He has challenged the Government of Ghana on more than one occasionCiti FM Online. "Politicians and media have failed Ghana – Herbert Mensah”, 8 December 2014. Retrieved 4 April 2015.Citi Peace FM Online. "Herbert Mensah To Sue Ministry Over Whereabouts Of GHC100k Rugby Fund?" , 9 October 2014. Retrieved 4 April 2015. about support promised to minority sports such as rugby that has never been delivered. He remains a vocal critic of other government failures well beyond the realm of sport.
After the 2015–16 Ghana Rugby Club Championship, Mensah, in the absence of a National Technical Director, appointed a four-man technical squad under his guidance to prepare the Ghana national men's sevens team for its Africa Rugby international commitment.My Joy Online. "Ghana Rugby announces National Men's Sevens Team", 17 May 2014. Retrieved 30 May 2016. The technical team consisting of Messrs. Simba Mangena (Head Coach of Conquerors SC), Clement Dennis (Player / Coach of Griffons RFC), Amuzuloh Salim (Head Coach of Cosmos Buffaloes RFC) and Dan Hoppe (Idas Sports RFC) put the squad of 25 players through a rigorous training programme that ended in April 2016. This was followed by Phase II of the preparation that started early May when a reduced squad of 16 players started camping in Accra.
The final squad of 12 players who competed in the Africa Rugby "Africa Cup West" men's sevens tournament in Lome, Togo on 28 May 2016 consisted of: Dan Hoppe (Idas Sports RFC), Clement Dennis (Griffons RFC), Sani Alhassan (Captain)(Cosmos Buffaloes RFC), Alex Dorpenyo (Conquerors SC), Seidu Razak (Conquerors SC), Solomon Akumba (Cosmos Buffaloes RFC), Michael Acquaye (Conquerors SC), Calestus Bosoka (Conquerors SC), Emmanuel Kalos (Conquerors SC), Joseph Mensah (Griffons RFC), Erick Acquah (Griffons RFC) and Nasiru Aminu (Conquerors SC).
The Ghana Eagles, as the Ghana national Rugby team is known, managed to lift the Bronze or Third Place cup after it was ranked as number one based on the Pool results.Modern Ghana. "Ghana Rugby Wins Bronze Cup In Togo", 29 May 2014. Retrieved 30 May 2016.
Full membership of World Rugby
On 10 May 2017 the World Rugby Council approved the application by the Ghana Rugby Football Union as a full member union, bringing the total number to 104 full members and 17 associates.World Rugby. "Ghana welcomed as full member union of World Rugby"], 21 May 2017. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
World Rugby Chairman Bill Beaumont said: "We are delighted to be welcoming Ghana as a full member of World Rugby. These are very exciting times for our sport with unprecedented growth and interest around the world. With today's announcement, we look forward to a strong, well-organised game in Ghana and we are glad that the union is now ready to join the global rugby family as a full member and continue its work growing the game in Africa.”
Other achievements in 2017
In addition to its promotion to Full Membership of World Rugby, Ghana Rugby recorded several other achievements in 2017.
Winner of Rugby Africa Regional Challenge - West 1 Ghana Rugby was awarded the hosting rights for the 2017 Rugby Africa Regional Challenge - West 1 between Benin, Ghana and Togo in Accra, Ghana.Rugby Afrique. "REGIONAL CHALLENGE – WEST 1"], May 2017. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
Ghana Rugby managed to win the tournament by beating Benin 46 - 5 and Togo 10 - 0 to lift the Regional Challenge Trophy.
Ranking on Rugby Africa Men's Sevens Log Ghana Rugby competed for the first time in the Rugby Africa Men's Sevens Tournament in Kampala-Uganda by beating Mauritius 26 to 0 to be placed 9th in the Africa Men's Sevens Tournament.Peace FM. "Ghana Rugby Successfully Kicked Off The Journey To The World Stage"], 9 October 2017. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
The competition was played between ten of Africa's best nations between 6 and 7 October 2017 in Kampala-Uganda.Rugby Afrique. "2017 AFRICA MEN’S SEVENS: UGANDA MAKES A CLEAN SWEEP AGAIN !"], October 2017. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
Promotion to Rugby Africa 2018 Bronze Cup Ghana Rugby ended 2017 on a high note when was promoted from the Rugby Africa Regional Challenge to the 2018 Rugby Africa Bronze Cup.Rugby Afrique. "2017 Ghana Rugby ends 2017 on high note with Bronze Cup promotion"], 24 November 2017. Retrieved 26 December 2017.Rugby Afrique.[Rugby Africa unveils the 2018 Competition Schedule: 32 African countries, 10 competitions, more than 100 matches] "Rugby Africa unveils the 2018 Competition Schedule: 32 African countries, 10 competitions, more than 100 matches"], 13 December 2017. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
The announcement that was issued by Rugby Afrique said that the Rugby Africa Bronze Cup will take place from the 9th to 12 May in Accra, Ghana between Ghana, Lesotho, Mauritius and Rwanda.
Re-election as president and board chairman of Ghana Rugby
On 25 September 2017 Ghana Rugby elected a new board and officers based on a newly adopted Constitution. Mensah was elected as president and board member by the GRFU constitutional electorate and he was subsequently appointed as board chairman by the newly elected board.GhanaWeb. "Ghana Rugby inaugurates Officers and Board"], 25 September 2017. Retrieved 3 October 2017.
World Rugby Chairman Bill Beaumont and the CEO of World Rugby, Brett Gosper, congratulated Mensah and the GRFU Board in a joint statement and said that they "look forward to continuing to work with you and the Board going forward".Peace FM. "GRFU Re-elects Herbert Mensah As Prez...World Rugby Sents Felicitation"], 2 October 2017. Retrieved 3 October 2017.
In February 2020 he was re-elected President by the Ghana Rugby Football Union. He run unchallenged at a Special General Meeting and was also reappointed board chairman for a term spanning four years.
Ghana Rugby Football Union The Ghana Rugby football Union (GRFU) is the governing body for Rugby Union in Ghana. It was established in 2003 and is now a full member of World Rugby.World Rugby. "Ghana welcomed as full member union of World Rugby", Dublin, 21 May 2017. Retrieved 1 July 2017. It is also a full member of World Rugby's Africa Region, Rugby Africa.
History The Ghana Rugby Football Union was established in 2003 by Guy Chaley who came from Cameroon to create the Ghana national rugby union team. The team won their first match against the Mauritania national rugby union team by 29–8. Since then the team has entered a number of successful tournaments created by Rugby Africa, previously known as CAR. As well as the national team, the union also boasts a number of age grade national teams such as the national Under 20 team, and it also has a new and successful women's team.
The body's headquarters are in Accra. The union's president is Herbert Mensah a former player, sports administrator and business man.
At an Election Congress of Ghana Rugby on 5 June 2014 the first change in the administration took place since its inception in 2003 when Herbert Mensah was elected as the second president of the GRFU.Ghana Rugby. "Herbert Mensah elected as new Ghana Rugby President", Accra. Retrieved 1 July 2017.
National teams Ghana boasts a number of national teams such as the senior national 15s, Senior national 7s, under 18, 15 and 12 teams.
Constitution The GRFU adopted a new ConstitutionConstitution of Ghana Rugby. "Ghana Rugby Constitution", Accra. Retrieved 1 July 2017. at a Special Annual General Meeting (AGM) held on 17 June 2017 in Accra. The election of new board members in accordance with the new Constitution is scheduled for September 2017.
Members According to the GRFU Constitution the Union has two Members, namely the Greater Accra Rugby Association (GARA) and the CentWest Rugby Association (CentWest).
Greater Accra Rugby Association (GARA) The Greater Accra Rugby Association (GARA) is a member of Ghana Rugby with the following clubs affiliated to GARA:
Accra Rugby Club Conquerors Sporting Club