Republican Guard (RG) FC are looking to retain their title for the second time in a row when they face Special Operation Forces (SOF) in a football final slated for January 31, at Bugesera Stadium. The return of the competition puts an end to a two-year halt due to safety concerns of the Covid-19 pandemic. RG reached the final after eliminating Mechanized Division (MECH) 4-1, while SOF defeated Basic Military Training Centre (BMTC) Nasho 3-0 on penalties after the pair were tied to a 1-1 draw after 90 minutes. The last time these two sides met in this competition was in 2019 when Republican Guard beat Special Force 4-2 on the final. The RDF Inter-Force Competition is an annual event that tests abilities of military units and formations in various sports disciplines and its conclusion coincides with the celebration of Heroes' Day in Rwanda. The Rwanda Defense Force Inter Force competition resumed after two years of halting due to safety concerns of the COVID-19 pandemic. The RDF Inter Force Competition 2022-2023 started at lower levels in RDF Units in November 2022 and will culminate on 31 January 2023. RDF men and women are competing in seven different disciplines including football, basketball, volleyball, handball, netball, athletics and shooting. Besides football, all roads will this weekend lead to Busanza Barracks, the sole venue that will be hosting the finals in Netball and Handball on Saturday as well all as Basketball and Volleyball on Sunday. Military Police and Air Force will face of in the netball final while Air Force will be taking on Special Force in the handball final. On Sunday, General Headquarters will face Rwanda Air Force in the basketball final as Republican Guard have a final date with Special Force in Volleyball. RDF identifies talented individuals from this tournament who will be selected to participate in international military competitions such as the East African Community Military Games, among others.
