RSSB Tigers will travel to the 2026 FIBA Intercontinental Cup with ambitions of winning the title rather than simply making up the numbers, Rwanda Social Security Board (RSSB) Chief Executive Officer Regis Rugemanshuro has said. The Tigers will represent Africa at the tournament, which runs from September 22 to 27 in Beijing, China, bringing together six clubs from across the world. They earned their place after winning the 2026 Basketball Africa League (BAL) title in Kigali in May. The Rwandan champions will open their campaign against Lithuania’s Rytas Vilnius on September 22 before facing hosts Shanghai Sharks the following day. It will be the Tigers’ first appearance at the global club championship, but Rugemanshuro insists the team is approaching the competition with serious ambitions. “We are preparing seriously, and we will give ourselves every chance to compete and win. We respect the level of the competition, but we are not going simply to participate or enjoy the occasion. We are betting on ourselves. Our ambition is to win it all,” Rugemanshuro said in an exclusive interview with The New Times. Winning the BAL title on their debut remains the biggest achievement in the history of RSSB Tigers, who were founded in 2019. Rugemanshuro described the triumph as an extraordinary honour. “RSSB Tigers carried Rwanda’s flag to the top of African club basketball, and to have played even a small part in that journey is a privilege I will carry for the rest of my life,” he said. “The credit belongs to the players, the coaching and support staff, and the most remarkable fans in the BAL. They believed, they showed up and they turned every game into a home game. Rwanda made history!” He believes the BAL triumph also demonstrated that Rwandan clubs can compete at the highest level when talent is combined with preparation and professionalism. “We can compete—and win—at the highest level when talent is matched by preparation, professionalism and belief,” he said. “The BAL is becoming more competitive every season, but I genuinely believe Kigali can remain a home for major African basketball trophies in the years ahead.” Five of the six teams at this year’s Intercontinental Cup, including RSSB Tigers, will be making their debut in the competition. The other debutants are Rytas Vilnius, Shanghai Sharks, Beijing Royal Fighters and Brazilian side Boca Juniors. The sixth team, NBA G League United, are the only side in the field with previous experience at the tournament, having reached the final twice. The semi-finals and fifth-place match will be played on September 26, with the final and third-place game scheduled for September 27. Since the competition adopted its current six-team format in 2023, European clubs have enjoyed the most success. Spain’s Unicaja have won the title twice, while Brazil’s Sesi Franca became the only Americas-based team to lift the trophy under the current format when they triumphed in 2023.
