‎Wellspring University makes history with Rugby

‎Wellspring University makes history with Rugby

‎Wellspring University, Benin City, Edo State, has officially introduced Rugby Football Union, becoming the first university in the state to adopt the sport.

The introduction was marked by a visit from the Edo State Rugby Team, led by Head Coach Obong Ntiense Williams, popularly known as "Mr Rugby" in Nigeria and his 5-man professional Rugby coaches from Lagos.

‎‎The university's management, represented by Vice-Chancellor Professor Isaac Rotimi Ajayi, Registrar Dr. Mrs. Helen Uzezi Wara, and Sports Director Dr. Onuh Matthew Udaya, welcomed the team and expressed enthusiasm for the new programme.

‎‎This development is timely, as the university will participate in the upcoming National Universities Games (NUGA) later this year, where rugby is a medal-winning event.

The introduction of rugby is expected to enhance sports development and promote teamwork among students.

‎‎The Edo State Rugby Team's visit was a follow-up to Wellspring College Lagos' involvement in rugby, demonstrating a growing interest in the sport.

This initiative positions Wellspring University as a pioneer in rugby development in Edo State.

‎It will interest you to note that Edo State is a hub for rugby development in Nigeria.

Last year, in recognition of the remarkable strides and achievements recorded for the State in the Sports, an official approval was granted by the Ministry of Education to formally introduced rugby to 15 secondary schools as a pilot program of integrating Rugby into the school sports system.

This has been the results of the "Catch Them Young" Rugby initiative planted since 2012 in Edo State, which has led to consecutive gold medal wins at the National U-15 Youth Games and beyond.

The EYOTO Sports Academy also endorsed rugby as a development focus and sponsored a championship, which enters its second edition this year.

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