Mr Li attended the historic first match of the new Rugby Africa Cup 2020 at the Nduom Sports Stadium in Elmina-Ghana as a guest of honour after it once again made a considerable contribution towards the hosting cost of the encounter.

According to the President of Ghana Rugby, Mr Herbert Mensah, Twyford has been supporting Ghana Rugby for a number of years and the company’s contributions have on more than one occasion saved the day for Ghana Rugby.

“Rugby in Ghana is a minority sport that is ignored by the government when it comes to financial support and the Union is totally dependent on the support of companies such as Twyford, Sunda, the Panafrican Equipment Group, Komatsu, Interplast, Conserveria Africana and its Gino Brands and others. Twyford has been a loyal supporter for many years and is indeed regarded as a special “Friend Of Ghana Rugby” who has saved the day for us on more than one occasion,” Mensah said.

Ghana Rugby is the official full member of both World Rugby (2017) and Rugby Africa in Ghana-West Africa and is responsible for the management and development of the Game Rugby Union in the country. The Union is governed by a Constitution and administers five KPAs (Key Performance Areas) namely: (1) Youth Development & Growth through the World Rugby “Get Into Rugby” Programme, (2) Women in Ghana Rugby, (3) Training & Education, (4) Domestic Competitions and (5) International Performance.

Mensah continued to say that the various domestic and international rugby programmes require substantial funding and that Ghana Rugby is currently operating on a budget that barely covers 12 per cent of what it really needs to properly develop the Game of Rugby Union in Ghana.

Mensah also said, “What we, in essence, are doing is to build character in Ghana by embedding the values of Integrity, Passion, Solidarity, Discipline and Respect in our youth. More than one Headmaster has confirmed to us that the learners who take part in the World Rugby youth development programme “Get Into Rugby” quickly rise above its peers in terms of general and scholastic performers. To spread these life-skills to the whole of Ghana requires substantial resources.”

With the latest performances of Ghana Rugby on the international stage, the demand for funds has rapidly risen to keep tread with the requirement for more qualified coaches, match officials, medical officers, youth development officers and kit and equipment.

Ghana Rugby does not have a “Home of Rugby” such as most of the top tier nations have and is struggling to practise on poor facilities without grass pitches or on school pitches at considerable cost to the Union.

Mensah also said that the rapid rise of the Union places pressure on its need for specialised people and facilities to improve its performance in order to compete with top nations in Africa such as Kenya, Uganda, Zimbabwe and Namibia.

“In 2020 we will be taking part in the Pool Stage of the new Rugby Africa Cup competition and as 89th ranked rugby nation we will need to travel to Zimbabwe to face a rugby union with a rich history of rugby that is ranked number 35. Thereafter will have to face Tunisia, ranked 39, in Ghana and we need to beat both in order to stand a chance to aim for top honours in Africa,” Mensah said.