Rugby gaining ground in Malawi
Some Malawians have embraced rugby as teams such as Thyolo are in the forefront. This follows a new Rugby Football Union of Malawi (RFUM) programme designed to promote the game at grassroots level.
A RFUM report for the just-ended season of the sport largely viewed as elitist, paints a positive picture of how much the initiative has achieved so far.
The sport was prominent in pre-independence Malawi, before mainstream football took over. Teams full of local players such as Ndirande Impala, Chipembere, Nguluwe, Mvuu and Njobvu continue to grow, according to the association’s development officer Moffat Champiti.
In the just-ended season, Chipembere retained the RFUM Under-20 League title while the Blantyre Sports Club rugby side seized the glamorous Leslie Sevens.
“These future stars of Malawian rugby trained and ate together, fostering a bond between young people.
“The Under-20 League will continue next season as it is central to the development of rugby in Malawi. With increased sponsorship, further matches can be scheduled and the players from Luchenza can be transported to Blantyre for more training,” reads the report.
