Khaled Babbou, President of Rugby Africa, has officially launched the #AfricaAsOne campaign, to drum up support for all African representatives taking African Rugby to the international level. Mr. Khaled emphasized Rugby Africa’s commitment to delivering teams from their preparation games, all the way to international fixtures such as the Olympic Games.
Kenya is currently the only team that has qualified in the Olympic Games for the Women’s category. Tunisia and Madagascar still stand a chance at the Olympic Repechage due to take place in Monaco on the 19th and 20th of June. The Olympic Games are set to start on the 29th through the 31st of July, for Women.
Through the leadership of Rugby Africa, African teams will be coming together to prepare the qualified teams for the Olympic Games and Olympic Repechage, with friendly tournaments and shared preparation camps.
On behalf of Société Générale, Pierre Caillaud, Head of Sports Sponsorship said, “We are happy to emphasize our support for the development of Women’s Rugby on the continent, through our participation as a sponsor for the Women’s Sevens Solidarity Camp. Société Générale and Rugby have a long history, over 30 years of commitment based on shared values; team-spirit and respect. Ever since, the partnership has continued to grow stronger and build initiatives at all levels, from grassroots to professionals, both locally and internationally.”
According to Paula Lanco, President of the Women’s Rugby Advisory Committee, the year’s camp is scheduled to start on the 29th of April and is expected to end on the 9th of May. It will be hosted at La Maison du Rugby in Tunis, Tunisia.
Speaking on the sidelines, Maha Zaoui, Women’s Rugby Manager, said, “The teams are set to arrive on the 29th of April with key tournament dates being on the 1st, 2nd, 7th, and 8th of May. Further to this expected to be part of the encounter are teams from Kenya, Tunisia, and Madagascar.”
Camilyn Oyuayo, Team Manager of the Kenyan Lionesses, expressed her excitement for her pride of players, noting that they had worked exceptionally hard to achieve a high level of fitness and endurance, in time for the Women’s Solidarity Camp. This was due to the Kenyan Lionesses having commenced the preparation campaign with participation in the Madrid 7s and Emirates 7s tournaments.
Streaming live from Rugby Africa platforms, this year’s Women’s Sevens Solidarity Camp will be yet again another progressive milestone for the inclusion of women into the sport.