Rugby Africa chief says Springboks’ triumph can herald increase in sport

The Springboks’ World Cup triumph has the potential to ignite a increase in rugby throughout Africa, with the appropriate funding and structural change – in line with the continent’s main official.

Ghanaian businessman and sports activities administrator Herbert Mensah, a former Saracens and Sussex participant, is the president of Rugby Africa who’s striving to supervise oval-ball growth on the again of South Africa’s newest international conquest. 

His hope is that there generally is a regional lift-off, topic to assist from World Rugby, varied African governments and Olympic associations, and even the UK authorities.

First of all, there may be well timed inspiration for this momentous mission. ‘As President of Rugby Africa, I am so proud of the Springboks for what they have done,’ Mensah instructed Mail Sport. ‘It was great to see Siya Kolisi say at the World Cup he recognised that the Springboks represent the whole of Africa. 

That’s by no means been mentioned earlier than. Siya might be probably the most humble and charismatic captain on the earth and he occurs to be a person of color.

‘We look at symbols that we identify with. Siya Kolisi holding up the World Cup has an impact on every kid in every village in Africa who has seen a rugby ball before – or who has never seen a rugby ball. It is massive. He carries a message of hope and humility.

‘It takes me back to the Seventies, when I saw Cassius Clay fighting. Symbolically, it was massive for Africa. We look at symbols of encouragement. In the Eighties, I supported West Bromwich Albion, because they had Laurie Cunningham, Cyril Regis and Brendan Batson. I thought, “Hang on a minute, they are all us – playing”. It meant such a lot.

‘We believe that the greatest athletes in the world are African. Maro Itoje is Nigerian. Genge, Fickou, Danty and all the rest are of continental descent. So if the objective is to make more money, how do we make everyone understand that our 1.4billion people might not all watch rugby but if we started pumping in money today, by year three, your source of growth would not be North America, it would be Africa.’

Mensah is on a campaign on behalf of the African nations who he believes have potential which is usually neglected by the powers-that-be within the sport. He needs to unfold the phrase that the continent has extra to supply than simply the mighty Boks.

‘Kenya dropped out of the HSBC Sevens after the numbers changed and they didn’t qualify,’ he mentioned. ‘But they picked themselves up and, in our Olympic qualification event, in September in Harare, they beat the Blitzboks (South Africa) in the final. So they are going to the Olympics and the Blitzboks are having to go through the play-offs to get there.

‘There is not just one team in Africa who play rugby. They just need encouragement and funding, play-time and different competition structures. You would see South Africa as No 1 in Africa, Kenya as No 2, then Namibia, Uganda, Zimbabwe and Algeria. On a level playing field, Africa is more than capable of doing what South America have done.’

Unfortunately, growth within the area would require vital funding – far above and past what is on the market now. Securing it’s the important goal. ‘At the moment, the smaller rugby countries in Africa like where I come from (Ghana) get £10,000 per year – full stop,’ mentioned Mensah. ‘What do you do with that? So the big question is, how do we get that funding?

‘If we were given extra investment today, Cote d’Ivoire – who’ve been to the World Cup earlier than – and Senegal and different African international locations, who’re in Tier 3, could possibly be adequate to get again into the World Cup, with Kenya and – after 4 or 5 years – Uganda too.

‘We can’t go after every part, so which areas can we put money into? Zimbabwe are investing of their Under 20s, as champions of Africa. They are additionally investing in Sevens, because the fourth-ranked staff in Africa. Kenya have to get again into the HSBC Sevens and that’s their precedence, however they will the Olympics so they’re investing extra money. They are considering that, by 2027, they need to be ready to problem Namibia to go to the World Cup.’

Mensah is decided to barter larger assist, inside the administrative hierarchy of World Rugby and past, for African international locations who haven’t, historically, had the identical backing as rivals from different areas.

‘Some of the greatest athletes in the world are African, but the Fijians, Samoans and Tongans are given more play-time,’ he mentioned. ‘The Fijian team playing in Super Rugby now is the reason Fiji have become as good as they are. It is about play-time, at the right level.

‘South America has seen investment from their governments and their internal institutions. You’ve received Argentina, Chile and Uruguay, all enjoying properly. At half-time within the sport between Uruguay and France on the World Cup, it was anybody’s sport. The funding has made it work.

‘Africa has one high-performance team on the continent – South Africa. Then you have a number of teams who are called development teams, who could be high-performance teams. My argument is about the categorisation of teams that says you are not high-performance, because money is given to you depending on how you are categorised. As Rugby Africa, we like the increase to 24 teams at the next World Cup, but how does this impact on money and play-time?’

Since taking over his position in March, Mensah has sought a strategic alliance with South Africa, moderately than with France – as was the desire of his predecessors. His logic is to acquire a voice in the important thing rugby board-room talks, which is troublesome when World Rugby’s voting construction is closely weighted in favour of the same old powers.

‘Part of the problem is that I’ve received two votes on the council and England have gotten three,’ he mentioned. ‘My organisation represents 39 countries and we’ve received two votes. If you’ve received two votes you get £2million per 12 months – between 39 international locations.

‘The cost of flying from Dakar to Madagascar is $1,500, not £80 like it is from London to Paris. The costs involved in just getting people from one part of the continent to another are a nonsense. We spend £1.2 to £1.3million per year just on airline tickets. We need African governments to pick up some of those costs and we need World Rugby to endorse different competition pathways.’

There will even be a bid for assist from Westminster, to mirror post-colonial ties between the UK and huge swathes of Africa. ‘The French government invests through its lending agencies, whereas England and the RFU put zero in,’ mentioned Mensah.

‘In 2024, it’s important for me to get on to the British authorities and say, “There are legacy issues here and you do need to step up to help us put in training programmes and regional competition programmes. You don’t have to give us cash but you can invest and help raise the game in Africa, the way the French are”.’