THISDAY

NRFF on the March Again after Ratificati­on of its Constituti­on

- Femi Solaja

The Nigeria Rugby Football Federation (NRFF) has now put behind the problem that affected the smooth running of its activities following the ratificati­on of the federation’s constituti­on by the elected board led by Kelechi Mbagwu.

With this, NRFF has taken a giant step towards getting readmitted by the Internatio­nal Rugby Union who had mandated the Nigerian body to hold it Annual General Meeting and ratify its constituti­on.

At an extra-ordinary Annual General Meeting, attended by delegates from the various state chapters, and representa­tive of the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC), Ministry of Youth and Sports, and an EXCO member of the continenta­l governing body, Rugby Afrique, the federation endorsed the constituti­on and set out a programme of action for the 2018 season.

Speaking after the meeting, elated boss of NRFF, Kelechi Mbagwu said, “I feel relieved at this stage because if we had failed, we would have been back to square one. A country that is not internatio­nally recognised is not going to live up to its full potential,” he remarked.

He commended members of the board for their show of solidarity and said the board was now set for business and hoped to actualised most of its programme this year following the interest of several corporate bodies who are waiting in the wings moments the internatio­nal body endorses the legitimacy of the board.

On his part, Khaled Babbou who represente­d Rugby Afrique said he was happy with what he saw. “This is what we have been waiting for and rugby is set to open a new chapter in Nigeria and we will be happy to welcome the country back to the internatio­nal fold.

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