The 21st edition of Rutsindura Memorial volleyball tournament is expected to feature over 60 teams, including Ugandan clubs, organisers have confirmed. The tournament is organised annually in memory of late Alphonse Rutsindura, who was a teacher at the Petit Séminaire Virgo Fidelis in Butare. The qualifiers are due from May 17-18 and will be followed by the main competition which will start on May 25. According to Father Jean de Dieu Hanabashaka, the principal of Petit Séminaire Virgo Fidelis which hosts the tournament more categories were added, rising from eight to 11, with the addition of girls’ high school teams, college and university teams, and junior beach volleyball teams. Foreign clubs were also invited as organisers look to expand the tournament from a domestic competition to an international one. “Over past decades, the Rutsindura Memorial tournament hasn’t included foreign clubs, but so far, talks are underway with Ugandan clubs and we are close to reaching an agreement about their participation,” Father Habanabashaka told Times Sport. On the other hand, he said, our cooperation with the Ministry of Sports resulted in adding new categories including girls from the secondary school level in order to increase the number of young players who use the tournament to showcase their talent. The tournament is expected to benefit over 1,000 participating players from different divisions, including first division teams (boys and girls), college and university teams (boys), youth teams (boys and girls), general division (boys), intermediate (boys), beach volleyball (junior and intermediate), and primary school teams (boys and girls). So far, top tier clubs which have confirmed their participation are Rwanda Revenue Authority (RRA) women club, Police VC (men and women), Gisagara VC (men), and APR VC (men and women). ALSO READ: Police join APR teams in finals Beyond raising talents and providing a platform for young players through the Rutsindura Memorial Tournament, six volleyball pitches were built at the school. For long-term goals, Father Hanabashaka said that they are raising funds for a project to build a gymnasium in Huye to enhance financial outcomes for the tournament. “Over the past 20 editions, top talents like Ivan Mahoro (captain of Kepler VC) can attest that our tournament has developed players from the grassroots. Therefore, we have been investing immensely in building more volleyball courts in schools where these talents are discovered,” he noted. According to Yves Sangwa, the tournament coordinator, preparations are generally in full swing, encouraging teams to register early, as late registrants will not be allowed to participate. RRA and Rwanda Energy Group (REG) won the tournament in 2024 in women and men’s categories, defeating APR WVC and Gisagara VC, respectively, in the finals. Who was Alphonse Rutsindura? Alphonse Rutsindura was born in 1958 in Ndora, Gisagara District. He completed his secondary school education at Petit Seminaire Karubanda and his higher education at the IPN (National Pedagogical Institute) in Butare. He was a music and Latin teacher at the Seminary, a referee and coach for the Seminary team between 1983-1994, and the head coach of the National Women's team between 1988-1990. He also served as Vice President of the Rwanda Volleyball Federation (FRVB) and as coach of Rayon Sports VC in 1990. Rutsindura was killed during the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi along with his wife, Verena Mukarubayiza, and their children. Only one of his children survived.
