The local rugby governing body (RRF) has unveiled a busy calendar for the 2020 season, which, for the first time, has taken into consideration women’s rugby. This year will see the formation of a second division championship, bottom side at the end of the topflight league season will be relegated to the lower tier. The first division league gets underway on March 21, and will be concluding in August. Five teams, the top five from last season, will make the 2020 championship. Reigning champions Lion de Fer will be challenging for their title defence against former champions Thousand Hills, Resilience Rugby, Muhanga Thunders and Kigali Sharks. Meanwhile, the second division comprises teams from the Southern, Central and Northern zones, and will be starting in May. Southern zone has two teams; University of Rwanda’s Grizzlies and Puma Rugby Club. Former local rugby giants Remera Buffaloes and Rwamagana Bananas make the central zone while Northern zone is composed of three teams; Rubavu rugby club, Burera Tigers and IPRC Tumba. Also, there will be a Women’s Rugby 7s match on May 4, while their male counterparts take part at the Safari’s 7’s invitational tournament in Kenya, in September. As part of their annual programmes, UK-based Friends of Rwanda Rugby (FoRR) will again conduct a one-week training camp in Rwanda from May 25 to 31, while this year’s Genocide Memorial Tournament (GMT) is scheduled for June 14. Also part of the action-packed 2020 season is a camp for U-15 and U-17 talent detection camps, refresher workshops for coaches and referees before wrapping the year with a beach rugby tournament in December.
