The third edition of the annual Thousand Hills Rugby festival is scheduled for September 1 at APR FC training ground, outside Amahoro National Stadium. The development was confirmed to Saturday Sport yesterday by Thousand Hills Rugby coach and co-founder Jimy Mugabo. The former national team captain also revealed that two foreign teams will participate, namely; Okapi Rugby Club, from the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Hippos, from Uganda. They will join eight Rwanda national rugby league sides to make it a ten-team showdown. “Besides the rugby-packed day, there will also be music, barbecue, and drinks for revellers to enjoy the festival and witness the development of rugby in the country,” Mugabo said. It is mandatory that each invited team will have to enter a team of 15 players. In the inaugural edition of the tournament, in 2016, Buffaloes lifted the trophy after a narrow one try win over the hosts and organisers Thousand Hills at the Centre de Jeunes in Gatenga. The Remera-based club went on to retain the title in the second edition. Vincent Kamali, the captain of Buffaloes Rugby, said that they will participate in the 7’s festival seeking to make history, to retain the trophy for a third successive time. Home teams Lion de Fer, University of Rwanda Grizzlies, Muhanga rugby club, Rusizi Resilience club, Kamonyi club, Kigali Sharks, Thousand Hills Rugby and holders Buffaloes. editorial@newtimes.co.rw
