Muhanga Rugby Football Club have had a wobbly start this season, and currently lie bottom of the three-team Southern Province league with just two losing bonus points from three games. But for the club’s coach-player Livingstone Muhire, it has to get worse before it gets better. Muhanga has fielded mainly young players, who have just reached the permitted age of 18 years, to feature in the league, and according to Muhire, they are improving with every game. “I decided to come up with a team of youngsters from around Muhanga because the senior players keep leaving and the club can’t afford expenses of transporting players coming from far away,” Muhire said in an interview with Times Sport. He says the new players, who turned 18 this year, have steadily improved but have been unlucky to lose 11-10 at home to Kamonyi Pumas and 12-10 away to University of Rwanda Grizzlies. However, their first league of the season was a 34-6 rout against debutants Resilience of Rusizi. “The youngsters are new to fifteens (format) but they have some impressive skills, which will only help them to learn and get better with time” says Muhire. Some of the youngsters include; Emmanuel Iradukunda, Hamid Sengoba and Fabrice Iradukunda. “We have learnt a lot this season, especially with the rucking, catching high balls and defending,” says 18-year -old Emmanuel Iradukunda. He however, admits they are working on understanding the rules better. The club was started in 2011 by Muhire and a couple of former students of St. Joseph Kabgayi in a bid to develop the game in Muhanga region and its surroundings. Muhire reveals that, “People here, especially the youth, love the game a lot but we lack support from the district. The major challenge we face is transport for the players.” Muhanga have had a little more success than their Southern Province rivals in previous seasons—they finished fourth in their debut season of 2011-2012, third in the 2012-2013 and again third in 2014-2015 last year before the league was divided into (Kigali league and southern province league). Muhire’s inexperienced and youthful side faces a tough task to make the playoffs this year. League debutants, Resilience top the league with 10 points, two ahead of second-placed Kamonyi Pumas while UR Grizzlies have four points. Only the top two make the playoffs against the two teams from Kigali. editorial@newtimes.co.rw
