Sports

14 Teams Set To Rumbles At 2022 Abuja Rugby 10’s Tournament

Published

4 years ago

May 11, 2022

Joel Ajayi

No fewer than 14 Rugby teams will be taking part in the 2022 Rugby 10’s tourney starting from Friday’s 13th to the 14th of May inside the Moshood Abiola National Stadium Package B Abuja.

In a press statement issued on Wednesday in Abuja, by Abuja Rugby Football Club ARFC captain, Michael Egirani aka Don Michelino said the tournament aims to promote rugby in Nigeria and celebrate the skills of Nigerian teams.

“(ARFC) is proudly hosting the Pepsi Abuja Rugby 10’s tournament bringing together teams from across Nigeria to compete for the title of Abuja 10s Championship in the different categories, and take home a trophy and prize money for the 1st and 2nd, and 3rd place.

“This is the first rugby tournament held in Abuja in over 20 years.

“To further growth and raise the profile of rugby in Nigeria, ARFC is taking the bold step of hosting the first nationwide 10s tournament in Abuja this month will showcase the grassroots talent and the passion of Nigeria’s youth for the game of rugby..

“We are expecting over 1,000 spectators over the weekend and ARFC have planned a spectacular two days with entertainment in the intervals, food and drink vendors, craft stalls, media screens showing the live matches, DJs & MCs, seating areas with tents for shade, and an afterparty at the venue on Saturday at 7 pm. The atmosphere will be electric and there will be supporters in Abuja, nationally in Nigeria, and abroad closely following the tournament.

“14 visiting teams will be coming to Abuja for the tournament. The revamped format with a special feature of Ladies 7’s full-contact game and an earlier

finish allowing an after-party at the event venue, shortly after the awards ceremony.

“Opening ceremony is on Friday 13th May at 11 am followed by the kick-off of the first game at 12:30 pm and games will be played until 5:30 pm. On Saturday 14

May, kick-off is at 9 am.

“The quarter-finals, semi-finals, and grand finals, will all take place from 12 noon onwards on Saturday.

“Saturday afternoon will also feature a special one-off, first of its kind. Ladies 7’s full-contact match to show how the momentum around women’s rugby is continuously building and we look forward to demonstrating this to Nigeria through the unstoppable energy of our Abuja Ladies 7’s team who will be playing the Zaria Rugby Ladies 7’s team.”

In his remarks, ARFC President, Richard Abrakson, revealed that he is thrilled to be hosting the event: “We have been training hard for this tournament and can’t wait to welcome some of Nigeria’s best rugby players to our city, Abuja, the city of unity.

This is apt because our club is a community of players from diverse backgrounds. I am sure everyone will see that after some fierce competitions, all the players from Abuja rugby club and from across Nigeria will be united and friends – as often are the case with rugby players around the world.”

While speaking, ARFC Coach, Daniel Nicolle, said “With the first tournament in Abuja in over 20yrs, in the first-ever 10’s tournament in Abuja.

ARFC is looking forward to uniting Nigerian teams at the Pepsi Abuja Rugby 10’s tournament 2022.”

However, the side attraction includes, Free Entry | Food Vendors | Beer & soft drinks Craft stalls | and Seated areas available.

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Sports

Plateau Vipers, Benue Queens Crowned Champions at HFN North Central Division One Tourney

Published

1 hour ago

October 3, 2026

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

The President of the Handball Federation of Nigeria (HFN), Jibril Seidu, has said the federation will continue to intensify its grassroots talent development drive through zonal competitions across the country.

Seidu stated this on Saturday in Abuja at the finals of the 2026 North Central Division One Handball Championship, where Plateau Vipers defeated Suleja Shooters 29-24 to emerge champions in the men’s category.

In the women’s final, Benue Queens of Makurdi defeated City Queens of Suleja to claim the title.

The eight-day tournament featured teams from across the North Central Zone, with Plateau Vipers of Jos, Confluence Stars of Lokoja, Unity Boys of Abuja, Suleja Shooters and Nasarawa Ambassadors of Lafia competing in the men’s category.

In the women’s category, Nuela Handball Academy of Ilorin, Inikpi Babes of Idah, Benue Queens of Makurdi and City Queens of Suleja competed for honours.

At the end of the competition, four teams — two male and two female — emerged as the North Central Zone’s representatives for the national Division One league.

According to Seidu, the tournament was organised as part of the federation’s deliberate strategy to take handball development back to the regions and discover talents that might otherwise remain unnoticed.

He said the HFN board, inaugurated on October 25, 2025, resolved that grassroots development was essential to creating a sustainable pipeline of players for national and international competitions.

“All the teams you have seen here are from the North Central Zone of the country, and every state is represented with an academy or state team,” he said.

Seidu explained that the new approach marked a departure from the previous system, where talent identification was largely centred on the federation’s major league competitions.

He said taking competitions to the regions would provide young players with greater opportunities to showcase their abilities while strengthening the foundation of handball across the country.

The HFN president also linked the grassroots initiative to Nigeria’s recent achievements in international handball, stressing the need to develop younger players who can eventually replace members of the current national teams.

He noted that Nigeria had qualified for the 2027 Men’s Junior Handball World Championship in North Macedonia, describing the achievement as evidence of the potential within the country’s handball system.

“How do we replace these players with upcoming players? This is the avenue for us to get players,” he said.

Seidu added that the federation was determined to make handball more visible and accessible, describing it as one of Nigeria’s major sporting disciplines with significant potential for growth.

The North Central tournament is part of a wider zonal programme designed to decentralise handball development across Nigeria.

According to the federation, similar competitions are being organised across other zones, including the South East, North East, North West and South South, with qualifiers from each zone expected to converge at a designated venue for the next stage of the competition.

The federation also appealed for greater support from sponsors, stakeholders and state associations to sustain its grassroots development programme.

It expressed appreciation to the participating states, academies, team sponsors and other stakeholders for their support and commitment to the growth of handball in Nigeria.

The federation said the initiative would provide a platform for discovering the next generation of Nigerian handball stars while expanding the sport’s reach beyond its traditional centres.
While Speaking the elated coach of Benue Queen Godwin Tondo has promised a stronger and more tactical performance after guiding the team to victory at the 2026 North Central Division One Handball Championship in Abuja.
He attributed the success to the team’s long-term youth development programme, noting that the squad was built through a deliberate process of identifying and nurturing young talents.
According to him, the programme began with the selection of 92 girls from secondary schools, who were subsequently trained and developed over a four-year period.

He said the team’s success was a product of sustained hard work and commitment despite the challenges encountered during preparations for the tournament.

“I feel very pleased being a champion today. The road to this stage was very, very hard, but I am very happy that we have got the result from all the toughness of the game,” he said.

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