Herbert Amponsah Mensah is a Ghanaian businessman, sports administrator, and the President of World Rugby’s African association, Rugby Africa, the governing body of Rugby in Africa.
103-735: He was also the president of the Ghana Rugby Association (GRA) operating as the Ghana Rugby Football Union (GRFU). He was born in Kumawu on 26 December. Mensah is an alumnus of Achimota Secondary School in Accra , Ghana , although he completed his O levels in the UK and later obtained his graduate degree in economics at Sussex University . In his younger years, he played rugby for Sussex and Saracens. He entered
206-570: A British Isles team visited Australia and New Zealand—although a private venture, it laid the foundations for future British and Irish Lions tours; and the 1888–89 New Zealand Native football team brought the first overseas team to British spectators. During the early history of rugby union, a time before commercial air travel, teams from different continents rarely met. The first two notable tours both took place in 1888—the British Isles team touring New Zealand and Australia, followed by
309-497: A haka before each match, leading Welsh Rugby Union administrator Tom Williams to suggest that Wales player Teddy Morgan lead the crowd in singing the Welsh National Anthem, Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau , as a response. After Morgan began singing, the crowd joined in: the first time a national anthem was sung at the start of a sporting event. In 1905 France played England in its first international match. Rugby union
412-817: A 2023 world cup qualifiers in France. The Ghana Eagles also hosted and won the Africa Mens 7s championship in Kumasi Ghana in November 2021. The Africa Mens 7s world cup qualification tournament in the West Africa region was supported by the King of Asante Otumfuo Osei Tutu II. After Ghana's male and female teams both won the tournament, the winning cup and the players were presented to the King of Asante by Herbert Mensah. The President of Ghana Nana Akufo Addo gave
515-557: A full member of World Rugby. These are very exciting times for our sport with unprecedented growth and interest around the world. With today's announcement, we look forward to a strong, well-organised game in Ghana and we are glad that the union is now ready to join the global rugby family as a full member and continue its work growing the game in Africa.” Besides for the promotion to Full Membership of World Rugby, Ghana Rugby also experienced
618-444: A full member of World Rugby. These are very exciting times for our sport with unprecedented growth and interest around the world. With today's announcement, we look forward to a strong, well-organised game in Ghana and we are glad that the union is now ready to join the global rugby family as a full member and continue its work growing the game in Africa.” In 2019, World Rugby, the global governing body of rugby football unions announced
721-487: A global campaign to revolutionize women's participation in the game of rugby world-wide. The campaign Dubbed ''Try And Stop Us'' is aimed globally at encouraging and increasing participation among fans, players and investors in the women's game of rugby. In Ghana, Herbert Mensah, President of Ghana Rugby and the union has for the past two years, in compliance with a World Rugby youth development program ''Get Into Rugby'' focused on recruiting, training, coaching and inspiring
824-594: A limited number of games, and Cambridge and Oxford continued their annual University Match . The first officially sanctioned international rugby sevens tournament took place in 1973 at Murrayfield, one of Scotland's biggest stadiums, as part of the Scottish Rugby Union centenary celebrations. In 1987, the first Rugby World Cup was held in Australia and New Zealand, and the inaugural winners were New Zealand. The first World Cup Sevens tournament
927-415: A lineout throw is generally awarded to the opposition at the spot on the sideline where they left the field. Exceptions include a kick out "on the full" (i.e. the ball did not land in the field-of-play before going into touch) in which case the lineout would still take place on the sideline but back in line with where the ball was kicked, or when a team takes a free kick from a penalty where they would retain
1030-536: A member of Rugby Africa and a full member of World Rugby since 2017. Prior to his appointment as President of Ghana Rugby, Mensah was appointed to the executive of the Greater Accra Rugby Association (GARA) in May 2014. At the occasion, he stressed the importance to build infrastructure to motivate the youth and to grow the game of rugby in Ghana. On assuming office, his first priority
1133-665: A memorable year in other areas. Ghana Rugby was awarded the hosting rights for the 2017 Rugby Africa Regional Challenge - West 1 between Benin, Ghana and Togo in Accra , Ghana . Ghana Rugby managed to win the tournament by beating Benin 46 - 5 and Togo 10 - 0 to lift the Regional Challenge Trophy. Ghana Rugby competed for the first time in the Rugby Africa Men's Sevens Tournament in Kampala - Uganda by beating Mauritius 26 to 0 to be placed 9th in
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#17328021869391236-597: A new Board and Officers based on a newly adopted Constitution. Mensah was elected as President and Board Member by the GRFU constitutional electorate and he was subsequently appointed as Board Chairman by the newly elected Board. World Rugby Chairman Bill Beaumont and the CEO of World Rugby, Brett Gosper, congratulated Mensah and the GRFU Board in a joint statement and said that they "look forward to continuing to work with you and
1339-764: A new Executive Committee. In June 2023 Mensah was a key note speaker during the Bloomberg New Economy Gateway Africa event in Morocco where he called for change of mindset to see sports in Africa as a big business. [3] [4] Mensah has won many laurels with the Ghana national rugby football team, the Ghana Eagles, as its President and main financier in recent years. The team won a game over Algeria in Kampala Uganda in July 2021 in
1442-534: A preferred or standard 68 metre width, this is often used unless a ground has been specifically designed to accommodate a 70-metre rugby field. 100 metres is the typical length, with a line (see below) often marked at halfway with "50" on it, representing 50 metres from each goal line. The variations have been allowed in the Laws, possibly to accommodate older grounds (perhaps even pre-metrification when yards and feet were specified) and developing nations. The field of play
1545-470: A successful penalty kick or a drop goal each score 3 points. The values of each of these scoring methods have been changed over the years. According to World Rugby's Laws of the Game, a typical rugby ground, formally known as the "playing enclosure", is formed by two major zones: The referee (and their assistants) generally have full authority and responsibility for all players and other officials inside
1648-538: Is Chatswood Oval in Sydney, Australia, an elliptically shaped cricket ground which is the home of Gordon rugby club, that has curved dead-ball lines to maximise the available in-goal space. Where multiple sports share a field (e.g. a rugby league and a rugby union club sharing one field), lines may be overlaid on top of each other, sometimes in different colours. However, particularly for television, rugby union line markings are generally painted white. Some exceptions include
1751-457: Is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in England in the first half of the 19th century. Rugby is based on running with the ball in hand. In its most common form, a game is played between two teams of 15 players each, using an oval-shaped ball on a rectangular field called a pitch. The field has H-shaped goalposts at both ends. Rugby union is a popular sport around
1854-408: Is considered "out-of-bounds" for the ball and the players, normally resulting in the non-infringing team receiving possession of the ball at a restart. The perimeter area can be divided into two areas: For the purposes of determining if a ball is "out-of-bounds" (i.e. has left the playing area), the perimeter area extends indefinitely away from the playing area. When a ball or player goes into touch,
1957-445: Is divided by a solid "halfway" line, drawn perpendicular to the sidelines at their midpoint. A 0.5m line is marked perpendicular to the halfway lines at its midpoint, designating the spot where the kickoffs shall be taken. The areas between each goal line and the halfway line are known as "halves" as in other football codes. A pair of solid lines are also drawn perpendicular to the sidelines, 22 metres (formerly 25 yards) from each end of
2060-549: Is the governing body for Rugby Union in Ghana . It was established in 2003 and is now a full member of World Rugby . It is also a full member of World Rugby's Africa Region, Rugby Africa . The Ghana Rugby Football Union was established in 2003 by Guy Chaley who came from Cameroon to create the Ghana national rugby union team . The team won their first match against the Mauritania national rugby union team by 29–8. Since then
2163-440: Is the third and final row of the forward positions, who are often referred to as the loose forwards. The three positions in the back row are the two flankers and the number 8 . The two flanker positions, known as the blindside flanker and openside flanker, are the final row in the scrum. They are usually the most mobile forwards in the game. Their main role is to win possession through 'turn overs'. The number 8 packs down between
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#17328021869392266-963: The Bunnings NPC in New Zealand, the League One in Japan and the Currie Cup in South Africa. Other transnational club competitions include the United Rugby Championship of club teams from Ireland, Italy, Scotland, South Africa and Wales, European Rugby Champions Cup in Europe, and Super Rugby in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. Primitive forms of football included harpastum , played by
2369-525: The Vodafone Ghana management team he staged a management motivational event using the values and principles of rugby to help Vodafone prepare its management for year ahead. He has challenged the Government of Ghana on more than one occasion about support promised to minority sports such as rugby that has never been delivered. He remains a vocal critic of other government failures well beyond
2472-401: The Vodafone Ghana management team he staged a management motivational event using the values and principles of rugby to help Vodafone prepare its management for year ahead. He has challenged the Government of Ghana on more than one occasion about support promised to minority sports such as rugby that has never been delivered. He remains a vocal critic of other government failures well beyond
2575-456: The 1830s, "running in" with the ball in hand was allowed but subject to hacking and "collaring". Former Rugby School student Albert Pell is credited with having formed the first "football" team while a student at Cambridge University . Major private schools each used different rules during this early period, with former pupils from Rugby and Eton attempting to carry their preferred rules through to their universities. A significant event in
2678-405: The 9th to 12 May in Accra , Ghana between Ghana, Lesotho , Mauritius and Rwanda . On 25 September 2017 Ghana Rugby elected a new board and officers based on a newly adopted Constitution. Mensah was elected as president and board member by the GRFU constitutional electorate and he was subsequently appointed as board chairman by the newly elected board. World Rugby Chairman Bill Beaumont and
2781-626: The Africa Men's Sevens Tournament. The competition was played between ten of Africa's best nations between 6 and 7 October 2017 in Kampala - Uganda . Ghana Rugby ended 2017 on a high note when was promoted from the Rugby Africa Regional Challenge to the 2018 Rugby Africa Bronze Cup. The announcement that was issued by Rugby Afrique said that the Rugby Africa Bronze Cup will take place from
2884-529: The Africa Men's Sevens Tournament. The competition was played between ten of Africa's best nations between 6 and 7 October 2017 in Kampala - Uganda . Ghana Rugby ended 2017 on a high note when was promoted from the Rugby Africa Regional Challenge to the 2018 Rugby Africa Bronze Cup. The announcement that was issued by Rugby Afrique said that the Rugby Africa Bronze Cup will take place from 9 to 12 May in Accra , Ghana between Ghana , Lesotho , Mauritius and Rwanda . On 25 September 2017 Ghana Rugby elected
2987-453: The Board going forward". In February 2020 he was re-elected President by the Ghana Rugby Football Union. He run unchallenged at a Special General Meeting and was also reappointed Board Chairman for a term spanning four years. Ghana Rugby Association The Ghana Rugby Association , operating as the Ghana Rugby Football Union, is the governing body for rugby union in Ghana . It is
3090-441: The CEO of World Rugby, Brett Gosper, congratulated Mensah and the GRFU Board in a joint statement and said that they "look forward to continuing to work with you and the Board going forward". In February 2020 he was re-elected President by the Ghana Rugby Football Union. He run unchallenged at a Special General Meeting and was also reappointed board chairman for a term spanning four years. The Ghana Rugby football Union ( GRFU )
3193-531: The English league at the time such as Tony Yeboah and others involved to raise massive local interest in the charity games. He also got local sponsorship including from the 5-star Labardi beach hotel involved in hosting the Max Brito tour. Other sponsors included airline companies operating in Ghana. Mensah, a former rugby union footballer himself guaranteed payment in case of damage or financial loss and accepted
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3296-635: The GFA and demanded an apology to Ghanaians after the team's abysmal performance at the 2022 AFCON in Cameroon. He also remains hopeful in the chances of the Ghana national football team qualifying for the FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Prior to his appointment as President of Ghana Rugby, Mensah was appointed to the executive of the Greater Accra Rugby Association (GARA) in May 2014. At the occasion, he stressed
3399-628: The Ghana national Rugby team is known, managed to lift the Bronze or Third Place cup after it was ranked as number one based on the Pool results. On 10 May 2017 the World Rugby Council approved the application by the Ghana Rugby Football Union as a full member union, bringing the total number to 104 full members and 17 associates. In announcing the achievement World Rugby Chairman Bill Beaumont said: "We are delighted to be welcoming Ghana as
3502-409: The Ghana national Rugby team is known, managed to lift the Bronze or Third Place cup after it was ranked as number one based on the Pool results. Herbert Mensah was elected President of World Rugby’s African Association, Rugby Africa, the governing body of Rugby in Africa, on March 18, 2023 [1] He is the first Anglophone President since the establishment of Rugby Africa. [2] He was elected alongside
3605-569: The Ghana rugby national team 100K USD when the team led by President of Ghana rugby Herbert Mensah paid a courtesy call on him at the flag staff house in Accra Ghana. Mensah's progressive development of the rugby game in Ghana and in compliance with world rugby standards over the past few years gained greater recognition in 2019 when he was appointed a member of the Africa Rugby Executive committee. The new governing board
3708-513: The Laws: Generally, points where the dashed lines intersect other lines will be marked with a "T" or cross shape, although the extensions of dashed lines are generally not drawn within 5 metres of the goal lines or sidelines, to allow a clear demarcation of the field of play's boundaries. The Laws require the playing area to be rectangular in shape, however variations may be permitted with the approval of relevant unions. A notable example
3811-820: The New Zealand team touring Europe. Traditionally the most prestigious tours were the Southern Hemisphere countries of Australia, New Zealand and South Africa making a tour of a Northern Hemisphere, and the return tours made by a joint British and Irish team. Tours would last for months, due to long traveling times and the number of games undertaken; the 1888 New Zealand team began their tour in Hawkes Bay in June and did not complete their schedule until August 1889, having played 107 rugby matches. Touring international sides would play Test matches against international opponents, including national, club and county sides in
3914-476: The Romans, where two opposing teams competed to throw a large ball into an opposition net, fighting for possession of the ball. Medieval Irishmen played caid , carrying an inflated bladder and using arched trees as goals. The Welsh played an inter-parish game using a wooden ball called cnapan . Frenchmen played soule and Georgians played lelo. "Football" as a game was well established by 1803 at Rugby School and by
4017-683: The Rugby Africa Development Manager. He also met with various stakeholders including regional associations, clubs, players and the business community. On Friday, 29 August 2014, Mensah convened a Ghana Rugby Stakeholder Forum in Accra, where the Ghana Rugby Blueprint was presented. He also arranged training sessions for both coaches and referees to improve the quality of the sport in Ghana . The coaches' training conducted by Mr David Dobela of South Africa
4120-482: The SOS (Strategic Outsourcing Solutions) network. It provided management services to football and continues to be a link between grass-roots sport and the professional world. In 2007, he teamed up with Prosport International to nurture players with exceptional talents. Mensah has been critical of the Ghana football association and its leadership for the poor performance of Ghana's national soccer team. In 2022 he criticised
4223-537: The United States , Canada and Eastern Europe , its growth occurring during the expansion of the British Empire and through French proponents ( Rugby Europe ) in Europe. Countries that have adopted rugby union as their de facto national sport include Fiji , Georgia, Madagascar , New Zealand, Samoa , Tonga , and Wales . International matches have taken place since 1871 when the first game
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4326-480: The Wallabies (Australia's national team) who often have yellow markings. Local clubs may use black, yellow, or other colours on grass, with other surfaces possibly requiring different marking techniques. Unlike association football, where on-field advertising is strictly forbidden in the laws, World Rugby allows sponsors logos to be painted on the playing surface. This is another way in which clubs can make money in
4429-431: The backs and the forwards is that the backs are expected to have superior kicking and ball-handling skills, especially the fly-half, scrum-half, and full-back. The half-backs consist of two positions, the scrum-half and the fly-half , also known in the Southern Hemisphere as half-back and first five-eighth respectively. The fly-half is crucial to a team's game plan, orchestrating the team's performance. They are usually
4532-422: The ball is kicked into touch by a player who had at least one foot on or behind their own 22-metre line, the line-out formed at the spot where the ball crossed the touch-line instead of being taken in line with the spot from where it was kicked. Additional broken or dashed lines (of 5 metre dash lengths, according to the Laws ) are drawn in each half or on each side of, the field, each with specific purposes under
4635-417: The ball. Forwards play a vital role in tackling and rucking opposing players. Players in these positions are generally bigger and stronger and take part in the scrum and line-out. The forwards are often collectively referred to as the 'pack', especially when in the scrum formation. The front row consists of three players: two props (the loosehead prop and the tighthead prop) and the hooker . The role of
4738-445: The basics of the rugby game whiles raising funds to support Max Brito. Though the idea was brilliant, the tour team needed a man on the ground in West Africa who had the wherewithal to fix the practical difficulties in organising such a tour in West Africa. When he was contacted, Herbert Mensah facilitated travel arrangements for all the players from England and South Africa. Mensah also got Ghanaian international footballers playing in
4841-403: The business community. On Friday, 29 August 2014, Mensah convened a Ghana Rugby Stakeholder Forum in Accra, where the Ghana Rugby Blueprint was presented. He also arranged training sessions for both coaches and referees to improve the quality of the sport in Ghana . The coaches' training conducted by Mr David Dobela of South Africa was described as a historical event for Ghana Rugby as it
4944-458: The business world while still a student and gained business experience, among other places, in the tobacco industry in Zimbabwe. His entrepreneurship led to his pursuit of success in the telecommunications industry. In the early nineties, he identified cellphones as a boom industry and went on to become the biggest mobile handset distributor in sub-Saharan Africa, outside South Africa, where he led
5047-591: The case of Northern Hemisphere rugby, or provincial/state sides in the case of Southern Hemisphere rugby. Between 1905 and 1908, all three major Southern Hemisphere rugby countries sent their first touring teams to the Northern Hemisphere: New Zealand in 1905, followed by South Africa in 1906 and Australia in 1908. All three teams brought new styles of play, fitness levels and tactics, and were far more successful than critics had expected. The New Zealand 1905 touring team performed
5150-588: The clubs that had favoured the Rugby Rules formed the Rugby Football Union in 1871, and their code became known as " rugby football ". In 1895, there was a major schism within rugby football in England in which numerous clubs from Northern England resigned from the RFU over the issue of reimbursing players for time lost from their workplaces. The split highlighted the social and class divisions in
5253-491: The country manager for satellite-TV service MultiChoice to Ghana. In 1996 Herbert Mensah fixed the Land Rover rugby discovery tour of west Africa that included Ghana and Ivory Coast. The rugby tour was sponsored by Land Rover and meant to raise charity funds for Max Brito, an Ivorian rugby national team player who got paralysed during a 1995 rugby union World Cup game in South Africa between Ivory Coast and Tonga. The tour
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#17328021869395356-496: The early development of rugby football was the production of a written set of rules at Rugby School in 1845, followed by the Cambridge Rules that were drawn up in 1848. Formed in 1863, the national governing body The Football Association (FA) began codifying a set of universal football rules. These new rules specifically banned players from running with the ball in hand and also disallowed hacking (kicking players in
5459-486: The field are divided into eight forwards (two more than in rugby league ) and seven backs . There are typically significantly more forwards on the bench than backs with, for example, South Africa having a 7-1 split in favour of forwards in their August 2023 match against New Zealand in Twickenham. A 6-2 or 5-3 split is more common. The main responsibilities of the forward players are to gain and retain possession of
5562-401: The field of play and called the 22-metre lines, or "22"s. An area at each end, also known as the "22", is bounded by, but does not include, the sidelines, goal line and 22-metre line. In this area, a defensive player who cleanly catches a ball kicked by the other team, without the ball having already touched the ground after the kick, is entitled to claim a free kick, or " mark ". Additionally, if
5665-518: The first professionally run Ghana Rugby Club Championship (GRCC). One of Mensah's major challenges as president of Ghana Rugby remains funding the sport and he has initiated various activities including a raffle ticket drive. He also managed to get corporates such as Accra Brewery , Interplast Ghana Archived 25 May 2015 at the Wayback Machine , Vodafone Ghana and Zen Petroleum involved in supporting Ghana Rugby. In collaboration with
5768-403: The first professionally run Ghana Rugby Club Championship (GRCC). One of Mensah's major challenges as president of Ghana Rugby remains funding the sport and he has initiated various activities including a raffle ticket drive. He also managed to get corporates such as Accra Brewery , Interplast Ghana , Vodafone Ghana and Zen Petroleum involved in supporting Ghana Rugby. In collaboration with
5871-438: The first change in the administration took place since its inception in 2003 when Herbert Mensah was elected as the second president of the GRFU. Ghana boasts a number of national teams such as the senior national 15s, Senior national 7s, under 18, 15 and 12 teams. The GRFU adopted a new Constitution at a Special Annual General Meeting (AGM) held on 17 June 2017 in Accra . The election of new board members in accordance with
5974-420: The first laws were written by pupils at Rugby School; other significant events in the early development of rugby include the decision by Blackheath F.C. to leave The Football Association in 1863 and, in 1895, the split between rugby union and rugby league . Historically rugby union was an amateur sport, but in 1995 formal restrictions on payments to players were removed, making the game openly professional at
6077-425: The first to receive the ball from the scrum-half following a breakdown, lineout, or scrum, and need to be decisive with what actions to take and be effective at communicating with the outside backs. Many fly-halves are also their team's goal kickers. The scrum-half is the link between the forwards and the backs. They receive the ball from the lineout and remove the ball from the back of the scrum, usually passing it to
6180-537: The fly-half. They also feed the scrum and sometimes have to act as a fourth loose forward. There are four three quarter positions: two centres (inside and outside) and two wings (left and right). In the Southern Hemisphere, the inside centre is commonly referred to as the second five-eighth, while the outside centre is simply known as the centre. The centres will attempt to tackle attacking players; whilst in attack, they should employ speed and strength to breach opposition defences. The wings are generally positioned on
6283-660: The following clubs affiliated to CentWest: Ghana Rugby has competed in Rugby Africa tournaments since 2003. Over the period 2003 to 2017 Ghana Rugby played 34 international matches of which it won 14, lost 17 and drew 3. The total point scored by Ghana Rugby was 438 with 425 scored against it. Ghana wins the Rugby Afrique 2017 Regional Challenge - Group West 1 Ghana wins 3rd Place Playoff Men's 15s Men's 7s Rugby union Rugby union football , commonly known simply as rugby union or often just rugby ,
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#17328021869396386-414: The goal lines, equivalent to American football's "end zones". The in-goal areas must be between 6 and 22 metres (6.6 and 24.1 yards) deep and cover the full width of the field. A ball grounded in this area by an attacking player will generally result in a try being awarded, unless there has been a previous infringement, or the player has gone out-of-bounds whilst in possession of the ball. The perimeter area
6489-671: The highest level for the first time. Rugby union spread from the Home Nations of the United Kingdom and Ireland , with other early exponents of the sport including Australia , New Zealand , South Africa and France . The sport is followed primarily in the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, New Zealand, Australia, Pacific Islands - Fiji , Tonga , Samoa , Georgia , Oceania , Southern Africa , Argentina , and in recent times also, Italy , Japan , South America ,
6592-460: The importance to build infrastructure to motivate the youth and to grow the game of rugby in Ghana. On assuming office, his first priority was to order an assessment of the state of rugby in Ghana by his Board Members. He travelled to Dublin to meet with officials of World Rugby to seek guidance on the development of Rugby in Ghana. The meeting was followed up with a meeting, also in Dublin , with
6695-531: The market in distributing Motorola, Sony, Ericsson, and Nokia. By 2007, he had established a level-3 Motorola and Nokia-certified mobile phone and repair centre in Accra. In 1994, he identified the opportunity of South African pay-TV broadcaster M-Net and helped to spread this service to the rest of Africa. In 1995, he represented the BBC in Ghana and became the liaison with media and government regarding all aspects of radio, programming, marketing, and PR. He later became
6798-430: The mass media in general to develop, advance and make the professional game of rugby popular in Ghana and Africa at large. On 10 May 2017 the World Rugby Council approved the application by the Ghana Rugby Football Union as a full member union, bringing the total number to 104 full members and 17 associates. In announcing the achievement World Rugby Chairman Bill Beaumont said: "We are delighted to be welcoming Ghana as
6901-414: The most important attributes of a good full-back are dependable catching skills and a good kicking game. Rugby union is played between two teams – the one that scores more points wins the game. Points can be scored in several ways: a try , scored by grounding the ball in the in-goal area (between the goal line and the dead-ball line), is worth 5 points and a subsequent conversion kick scores 2 points;
7004-438: The national team the black stars. Whiles in Ghana, Herbert Mensah got the touring rugby union footballers into the ''get into Ghanaian hospitality'' tour where the players applied themselves to teaching little Ghanaian kids how to play rugby football. The last amateur tour was the first and last of its kind in world rugby history. He was appointed board chairman of the popular Ghanaian football club Kumasi Asante Kotoko SC by
7107-608: The new Constitution is scheduled for September 2017. According to the GRFU Constitution the Union has two Members, namely the Greater Accra Rugby Association (GARA) and the CentWest Rugby Association (CentWest). The Greater Accra Rugby Association (GARA) is a member of Ghana Rugby with the following clubs affiliated to GARA: The CentWest Rugby Association (CentWest) is a member of Ghana Rugby with
7210-479: The next generation of young women rugby players in Ghana through basic schools. Ghana Rugby in the past two seasons organized women's sevens tournaments alongside men's fifteens. It is the aim of women in Ghana Rugby to compete in international tournaments in the near future. Besides for the promotion to Full Membership of World Rugby, Ghana Rugby also experienced a memorable year in other areas. Ghana Rugby
7313-414: The outside of the backline. Their primary function is to finish off moves and score tries. Wings are usually the fastest players in the team and are elusive runners who use their speed to avoid tackles. The full-back is normally positioned several metres behind the back line. They often field opposition kicks and are usually the last line of defence should an opponent break through the back line. Two of
7416-440: The playing area and perimeter area, although depending on how large the perimeter is, other surfaces such as dirt, artificial turf, etc. may be used outside of a "sliding" perimeter from the bounds of the playing area. For the most part, the "playing area" is where the majority of play occurs. The ball is generally considered live whilst in this area, so long as players do not infringe, with special rules applied to specific zones of
7519-442: The playing area. The playing area consists of: A typical "field of play" is generally 100 metres long by 68–70 metres wide for senior rugby, depending on the specific requirements of each ground. The Laws require the field of play to be between 94 and 100 metres (103 and 109 yards) long, with a width of between 68 and 70 metres (74 and 77 yards). As other football codes, such as association football and rugby league, have specified
7622-432: The playing enclosure. Fences or ropes (particularly at amateur clubs) are generally used to mark the extent of this area, although in modern stadia this may include the entire arena floor or other designated space. The Laws, above all, require that the playing enclosure's surface be safe, whilst also permitting grass, sand, clay, snow or conforming artificial turf to be used; the surface would generally be uniform across both
7725-719: The pre-1995 period of rugby union was marked by frequent accusations of " shamateurism ", including an investigation in Britain by a House of Commons Select committee in early 1995. Following the introduction of professionalism trans-national club competitions were started, with the Heineken Cup in the Northern Hemisphere and Super Rugby in the Southern Hemisphere. The Tri Nations , an annual international tournament involving Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, kicked off in 1996. In 2012 , this competition
7828-415: The professional era and is also often used by host nations, professional leagues and tournaments as additional revenue streams, particularly when games are broadcast. In recent years, augmented reality technology has been used to replace painting to protect the surface or save costs on painting fields, producing a similar effect for broadcast albeit sometimes with poorer results. The in-goal areas sit behind
7931-717: The race shortly before the declaration of President Khaled Babbou and Mensah's subsequent appointment unto the governing board of Africa Rugby. During the Africa Rugby Summit in Morocco, Ghana Rugby Football union(GRFU), of which Mensah is the President, also received an outstanding award from the continental rugby body for ''Best Communication strategy'' as part of the 2019 rugby Africa awards night held in Marrakech-Morocco. Rugby Africa recognised Ghana Rugby and Herbert Mensah for employing social media and
8034-503: The realm of sport. After the 2015–16 Ghana Rugby Club Championship, Mensah, in the absence of a National Technical Director, appointed a four-man technical squad under his guidance to prepare the Ghana national men's sevens team for its Africa Rugby international commitment. The technical team consisting of Messrs. Simba Mangena (Head Coach of Conquerors SC), Clement Dennis (Player / Coach of Griffons RFC), Amuzuloh Salim (Head Coach of Cosmos Buffaloes RFC) and Dan Hoppe (Idas Sports RFC) put
8137-501: The realm of sport. After the 2015/16 Ghana Rugby Club Championship, Mensah, in the absence of a National Technical Director, appointed a four-man technical squad under his guidance to prepare the Ghana national men's sevens team for its Africa Rugby international commitment. The technical team consisting of Messrs. Simba Mangena (Head Coach of Conquerors SC), Clement Dennis (Player / Coach of Griffons RFC), Amuzuloh Salim (Head Coach of Cosmos Buffaloes RFC) and Dan Hoppe (Idas Sports RFC) put
8240-425: The right to throw-in. The perimeter area should be clear and free of obstructions and heavy, solid objects which could pose a danger to players for at least 5 metres from the playing area, according to the Laws. Players often leave the playing area whether accidentally or due to being forced off of the field, sometimes sliding or needing to slow down from a sprint. Many venues at elite levels leave larger spaces around
8343-434: The risk for liability arising from such guarantee to the tour team, according to Harvey Thorneycroft. With strong connection to President Jerry John Rawlings of Ghana in 1996, Mensah gained official recognition and participation for the 1996 rugby discovery tour in Ghana with President Rawlings attending and ordering military aircraft displays over the Accra stadium during the charity games which also involved soccer games with
8446-590: The shins), both of which were legal and common tactics under the Rugby School's rules of the sport. In protest at the imposition of the new rules, the Blackheath Club left the FA followed by several other clubs that also favoured the "Rugby Rules". Although these clubs decided to ban hacking soon afterwards, the split was permanent, and the FA's codified rules became known as " association football " whilst
8549-427: The sport in England. Although the rules of the game were not a factor in the split, the breakaway teams subsequently adopted some rule changes and this became the separate code of " rugby league ". The RFU's code thereafter took on the name "rugby union" to differentiate it from rugby league, but both versions of the sport are known simply as "rugby" throughout most of the world. The first rugby football international
8652-957: The squad of 25 players through a rigorous training programme that ended in April 2016. This was followed by Phase II of the preparation that started early May when a reduced squad of 16 players started camping in Accra. The final squad of 12 players who competed in the Africa Rugby "Africa Cup West" men's sevens tournament in Lome, Togo on 28 May 2016 consisted of: Dan Hoppe (Idas Sports RFC), Clement Dennis (Griffons RFC), Sani Alhassan (Captain)(Cosmos Buffaloes RFC), Alex Dorpenyo (Conquerors SC), Seidu Razak (Conquerors SC), Solomon Akumba (Cosmos Buffaloes RFC), Michael Acquaye (Conquerors SC), Calestus Bosoka (Conquerors SC), Emmanuel Kalos (Conquerors SC), Joseph Mensah (Griffons RFC), Erick Acquah (Griffons RFC) and Nasiru Aminu (Conquerors SC). The Ghana Eagles, as
8755-791: The squad of 25 players through a rigorous training programme that ended in April 2016. This was followed by Phase II of the preparation that started early May when a reduced squad of 16 players started camping in Accra. The final squad of 12 players who competed in the Africa Rugby "Africa Cup West" men's sevens tournament in Lome, Togo on 28 May 2016 consisted of: Dan Hoppe (Idas Sports RFC), Clement Dennis (Griffons RFC), Sani Alhassan (Captain)(Cosmos Buffaloes RFC), Alex Dorpenyo (Conquerors SC), Seidu Razak (Conquerors SC), Solomon Akumba (Cosmos Buffaloes RFC), Michael Acquaye (Conquerors SC), Calestus Bosoka (Conquerors SC), Emmanuel Kalos (Conquerors SC), Joseph Mensah (Griffons RFC), Erick Acquah (Griffons RFC) and Nasiru Aminu (Conquerors SC). The Ghana Eagles, as
8858-432: The tallest players in the team and specialise as line-out jumpers. The main role of the lock in line-outs is to make a standing jump, often supported by the other forwards, to either collect the thrown ball or ensure the ball comes down on their side. Locks also have an important role in the scrum, binding directly behind the three front row players and providing forward drive. The back row, not to be confused with 'Backs',
8961-475: The team has entered a number of successful tournaments created by Rugby Africa, previously known as CAR. As well as the national team, the union also boasts a number of age grade national teams such as the national Under 20 team, and it also has a new and successful women's team. The body's headquarters are in Accra. The union's president is Herbert Mensah a former player, sports administrator and business man. At an Election Congress of Ghana Rugby on 5 June 2014
9064-488: The then Asantehene, Otumfuo Opoku Ware II , in 1999. Mensah set out to restore the success of earlier glories of the then failing club by implementing a five-year plan, which included sponsorships, the introduction of professional training facilities, and a transparent financial approach to the books. He left Kotoko in 2003 and later became involved in running a rival club in the Ashanti area, AshGold. In December 2004, Kotoko
9167-424: The two locks at the back of the scrum. The role of the number 8 in the scrum is to control the ball after it has been heeled back from the front of the pack, and the position provides a link between the forwards and backs during attacking phases. The role of the backs is to create and convert point-scoring opportunities. They are generally smaller, faster and more agile than the forwards. Another distinction between
9270-453: The two props is to support the hooker during scrums, to provide support for the jumpers during line-outs and to provide strength and power in rucks and mauls. The third position in the front row is the hooker. The hooker is a key position in attacking and defensive play and is responsible for winning the ball in the scrum. Hookers normally throw the ball in at line-outs. The second row consists of two locks or lock forwards. Locks are usually
9373-616: The world, played by people regardless of gender, age or size. In 2023, there were more than 10 million people playing worldwide, of whom 8.4 million were registered players. World Rugby , previously called the International Rugby Football Board (IRFB) and the International Rugby Board (IRB), has been the governing body for rugby union since 1886, and currently has 116 countries as full members and 18 associate members. In 1845,
9476-417: Was awarded the hosting rights for the 2017 Rugby Africa Regional Challenge - West 1 between Benin, Ghana and Togo in Accra , Ghana . Ghana Rugby managed to win the tournament by beating Benin 46 - 5 and Togo 10 - 0 to lift the Regional Challenge Trophy. Ghana Rugby competed for the first time in the Rugby Africa Men's Sevens Tournament in Kampala - Uganda by beating Mauritius 26 to 0 to be placed 9th in
9579-480: Was constituted and convened for Africa Rugby in Marrakech - Morocco on 2 March 2019. President of Africa Rugby Khaled Babbou announced Mensah's appointment as a representative of Rugby Africa whiles inviting him to the first continental board meeting of the year. Herbert Mensah, who initially put forward his personal bid to take over as President of Africa Rugby at the Marrakech summit, announced his withdrawal from
9682-510: Was described as a historical event for Ghana Rugby as it was the first time in 11 years that coaches were trained on both Level 1 and Level 2 for rugby union and Sevens coaching. Based on his consultations with both World Rugby and Rugby Africa, Mensah realised that a stumbling block in the way of Ghana Rugby to become a full member of World Rugby was the successful completion of a successfully run local league by at least ten clubs. He immediately mobilised his resources, and planned and completed
9785-485: Was dubbed 'The last amateur tour'. the idea of the tour was originated in 1995 during the rugby World Cup by an England rugby union footballer Harvey Thorneycroft who led a group of amateur English rugby union footballers growing to become professionals and they collaborated with the South African Rugby team, for this tour to west Africa to play in Ghana and Ivory Coast and teach little kids in those countries
9888-463: Was extended to include Argentina , a country whose impressive performances in international games (especially finishing in third place in the 2007 Rugby World Cup) was deemed to merit inclusion in the competition. As a result of the expansion to four teams, the tournament was renamed The Rugby Championship. Each team starts the match with 15 players on the field and typically seven or eight substitutes but this varies at amateur level. The 15 players on
9991-704: Was held at Murrayfield in 1993. Rugby Sevens was introduced into the Commonwealth Games in 1998 and was added to the Olympic Games of 2016. Both men and women's Sevens took place at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. Rugby union was an amateur sport until the IRB declared the game "open" in August 1995 (shortly after the completion of the 1995 World Cup), removing restrictions on payments to players. However,
10094-599: Was included as an event in the Olympic Games four times during the early 20th century. No international rugby games and union-sponsored club matches were played during the First World War, but competitions continued through service teams such as the New Zealand Army team . During the Second World War no international matches were played by most countries, though Italy, Germany and Romania played
10197-579: Was played between Scotland and England at Raeburn Place in Edinburgh. The Rugby World Cup , first held in 1987, is held every four years. The Six Nations Championship in Europe and The Rugby Championship in the Southern Hemisphere are other important international competitions that are held annually. National club and provincial competitions include the Premiership in England, the Top 14 in France,
10300-652: Was played on 27 March 1871 between Scotland and England in Edinburgh . Scotland won the game by one goal and one try to one goal. By 1881 both Ireland and Wales had representative teams and in 1883 the first international competition, the Home Nations Championship had begun. 1883 is also the year of the first rugby sevens tournament, the Melrose Sevens , which is still held annually. Two important overseas tours took place in 1888:
10403-584: Was runner-up in the African Cup Winners’ Cup and went on to achieve more success in the years that followed. A well known sports journalist in Ghana, Kwabena Yeboah , described Herbert Mensah as "the greatest leader he has ever met at the Porcupine Warriors" due to his endeavours on and off the field. Mensah has been credited with making a major contribution to changing the face of Ghanaian profession football. By 2004, he had established
10506-457: Was the first time in 11 years that coaches were trained on both Level 1 and Level 2 for rugby union and Sevens coaching. Based on his consultations with both World Rugby and Rugby Africa, Mensah realised that a stumbling block in the way of Ghana Rugby to become a full member of World Rugby was the successful completion of a successfully run local league by at least ten clubs. He immediately mobilised his resources, and planned and completed
10609-400: Was to order an assessment of the state of rugby in Ghana by his board members. He travelled to Dublin to meet with officials of World Rugby to seek guidance on the development of Rugby in Ghana. The meeting was followed up with a meeting, also in Dublin , with the Rugby Africa Development Manager. He also met with various stakeholders including regional associations, clubs, players and
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