VIDEO: ‘We’re all devastated’ — National rugby team protests ministry’s dissolution order

Players of ‘Black Stallions’, Nigeria’s national rugby team, have protested the dissolution of the board of the National Rugby Football Federation (NRFF) by the ministry of youth and sports development.

The protest, which took place at the National Olympics Committee (NOC) office in Abuja on Thursday, saw rugby players carrying placards with different inscriptions written on them.

Last week, Sunday Dare, minister of youth and sports development, had ordered the dissolution of all boards of the national Olympic sports federations — including the rugby federation — and enshrined caretaker committees to oversee affairs pending the next round of elections.

The development had prompted Rugby Africa, the body overseeing the sport on the continent, to suspend Nigeria from “participation in all Rugby Afrique and World Rugby activities until further notice.”

The ban also jeopardises the country’s chances of participating in next month’s Rugby World Cup pre-qualifiers in Burkina Faso.

In response, the Black Stallions took their discontent out and unreservedly in the streets of Abuja.

Speaking with reporters during the protest, Onoru Jatto, Black Stallions captain, said the ministry’s decision, if not reversed, will attract further bans that could “kill Nigerian rugby dead”.

He said the protest is to draw the attention of the minister to the harm his decision will do to the sport.

“They’ve written that letter, I’ve seen a letter addressed to the Honourable Minister, and there’s nobody that gains from this. There’s nobody in the rugby federation that would gain from a ban,” he said.

“So it makes no sense for them to ban us. We’re all devastated by this, all of us that are here, trying to push for a change should be at work. I should be at work, but I’m here, because I have a passion for this. We know that if the ban is upheld, this will kill Nigerian rugby, it will kill it dead.

“We’ve come with a letter from the players union, to hand over to somebody who can then reach out to the Honourable Minister on our behalf, because we don’t know what else to do.

“There’s no way we can meet in person, so we’re trying to do whatever we can. So hopefully by tomorrow, this can be overturned and we can go [to the pre-qualifiers in Burkina Faso].

“African Rugby pays for our flight ticket to the tournament. So, they were ready to pay for it, but because of this, this is why we were suspended, because they can’t spend money on a team that is not going to come. The tickets are not refundable. So, it doesn’t make sense for them. So, this is very important for us.”

The Black Stallions are billed to participate in a Rugby World Cup pre-qualifiers in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, from June 3-14. But if the dissolved board members are not reinstated and the suspension lifted, Nigeria won’t be represented.

VIDEO: National Rugby team protests ministry’s dissolution order pic.twitter.com/vGzgwkghbF

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— TheCable (@thecableng) May 6, 2021