TWO International Rugby Board trainers, John Bosco Muamba and Erick Situma arrived in the country yesterday for a three-day IRB Level 1 training for coaches and referees.

The training that starts this morning at Amahoro National Stadium is aimed at improving on the umpiring.
"The objective is to have qualified coaches and referees at the end of this course,” revealed the rugby federation’s National Technical Director, Gerald Nsenga.

"This is a great opportunity for Rwanda rugby. We hope to have Level 2 training later this year from the Penguin’s team based in the UK,” he added.

Muamba, an IRB accredited referee, said that one of the objectives is to have a local trainer who meets IRB standards to coordinate and carry out future trainings.
"This will help in ensuring sustainability as we cannot be here to foresee proceedings,” the Kenyan based trainer said.

Muamba has been here before as a referee in the East African schools tourney that Rwanda hosted. He also revealed that with his fellow Kenyan counterpart Situma, they carried out a similar clinic in Burundi last year.
"We hope to come back if invited to carry out further trainings,” he said.

Thirty are expected to undergo the training. Successful candidates will be awarded with certificates of merit by the International Rugby Board trainers. They will be the first to hold such qualification in the country.

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