The local volleyball governing body (FRVB) has asked all clubs in Rwanda to establish youth academies before the 2025/26 season kicks off in October. The development came after federation member clubs agreed to the new regulations regarding youth academies during the general assembly held in Kigali in April. This has, according to the federation, become a mandatory condition to all topflight clubs in new move aimed at grooming homegrown talent and reducing reliance on foreign players. “As volleyball grows among other sports, we want to develop youth talent programs. This will reduce our dependency on foreign players while feeding all categories of national team levels,” said FRVB president Raphael Ngarambe. Police VC became the first team to establish an academy and officially opened it at Lycée de Kigali (LDK) in Rugunga on June 26. The federation now wants other clubs to follow the example where remaining clubs have until August 15 to have complied to the new regulations governing establishment of youth academies at club level. ALSO READ: Police VC opens volleyball academy at Lycée de Kigali Apart from the projected volleyball academies, the federation currently counts six centers of excellence in schools that already run volleyball development programs. These include Groupe Scolaire Saint Aloys Rwamagana for girls, Collège Christ-Roi for boys, and Groupe Saint Joseph, Groupe Scolaire Officiel de Butare and Petit Séminaire Virgo Fidelis. There are eight top tier teams in each of men’s and women’s domestic leagues. Each club must run an academy developing new talent aged 12-16. They will also be responsible for providing equipment, including balls, training kits, and nets, to ensure that young athletes have the necessary tools to succeed from the very beginning.
