SaturdayMuhanga vs Kamonyi Pumas - 9am

SundayKigali Sharks vs Thousand Hills - 9am

The 2015-2016 National Rugby League finally kicks off today after being postponed twice on request by the participating teams that needed more time to fulfill the various requirements.

Ideally, the league is supposed to start in December and conclude in April but it has always started late due to different reasons. 

For this year, it can be tied down to the new requirements teams have to full fill , for instance ; players have to be 18 years and above, they need to have insurance and the teams must have a full team of 15 players for every game.

According the Rwanda Rugby Federation secretary general, Tharcisse Kamanda, some things have to change now that Rwanda is a full member of World Rugby.

"We now have to follow the standard rules that govern the sport. We want to have a professional league this year,” says Kamanda, adding that, "This will cause the league to end late but the World Rugby is more interested in the way the league is organized, run and documented.”

In the Southern League, Muhanga will host Kamonyi Pumas in the first game of the season on Saturday, while the Kigali League will begin on Sunday with a clash between two title hopefuls, Kigali Sharks and Thousand Hills at Utexrwa ground.

The Southern League also includes; UR- Grizzlies and Resilience Rugby Football Clubs while the other two teams in the Kigali Central League are; Lion de Fer and reigning champions Remera Buffaloes. 

The main issue facing clubs is squad numbers; in previous seasons, teams would start games having fewer players than the required 15 but it’s not possible, effective this season.

Three teams out of the eight league teams; Kigali Sharks, Kamonyi Pumas and Lion de Fer couldn’t play their opening fixtures because they have registered full squads.

This has affected clubs that rely on mostly high school student players, which leaves the teams handicapped during exams period and national programs like the annual National Itorero for senior six leavers that concluded on Wednesday.

Kigali Sharks are now ready for the season with full squad; however challenges remain, admits head coach Jean de la Paix Ihirwe.

"We are going to find a challenge in getting insurance for the players. We don’t have sponsors, even the money for transport we raise it among ourselves says. However, we are ready to push on,” Ihirwe told Saturday Sport. 

Player transfers will also have a mark on the league with the better-organized teams, Thousand Hills and Remera Buffaloes benefiting the most.

The Mumena-based Lion de Fer lost fullback Venuste Harerimana and veteran prop Didier Kamanzi to Thousand Hills. Also clubs like Kamonyi Pumas and Lion de Fer, the other teams affected by numbers are expected to have a rocky season. 

Clubs unaffected by squad numbers are Thousand Hills, Remera Buffaloes, National University of Rwanda -side UR-Grizzlies, who despite their strengths have their unique challenges too.

Thousand Hills are perhaps the best administered side of the league and well prepared with their player development program and sponsors. The Gatenga-based side, runners up last season, will hope to win the league in their second season.

"This season we want to show that we are the best. We want to win the title,” says Serge Shema, the assistant coach and scrumhalf. He promised the same running rugby that made the youthful team a sight to watch last year.

They have lost impact winger Pierre Niyoyita to last year’s league champions Remera Buffaloes, however on top of the services of Kamanzi, they have Valente Nsanzumuhire, a prop from Lion de Fer, whom Shema says adds physique to their pack. 

They however don’t have the experience of the Buffaloes, who have dominated local rugby for the last decade. 

The Buffaloes will back on their experience, but they will have to find solutions for an aging pack and discipline, they earned the most red cards last season.

"We have talked to the players ,we don’t want any more unnecessary red cards , whoever gets one will be fined by the club,” said Vince Kamali , the Buffaloes captain. He promised the back line would have more of the ball since the forwards were aging.

Down south, Muhanga RFC, who finished last year in third place, stand the best chance this season of winning in the Southern League title. 

Muhanga have a good player development program and have produced players like scrumhalf Patrick Ikorukwishaka and winger Ombeni Iradukunda, who play for Remera Buffaloes and Thousand Hills respectively, however they are undone by the lack of sponsors.

University of Rwanda Grizzlies, a side made up of university students, are dogged by the university program, they can’t play during exam time and in holiday time which means fixtures have to be reorganized to accommodate them.

Kamanda suggests they can approach locals and former students since they are a club, so as to have players all-year round, but it is still a long term project.

Newly formed Resilience, which is based in Rusizi, have the numbers, and could take advantage of the fact that they are unknown and youthful squad with raw talent and speed to burn. 

Like it is the problem with other teams, Resilience will be faced with the issue of travelling for the away matches. 

RRF is yet to find a sponsor for the league; in the meantime the clubs will have to rely on their contributions for the games to take place. However the search for a sponsor continues on top of other demands, says Kamanda.

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