British high commission donation kicks off new national rugby league |11 June 2022

SRA vice-chairman Corrie Opperman (left), British High Commissioner Patrick Lynch (centre) and SRA chairman Luke Fonseka

Ahead of the start of Seychelles’ first national rugby league today, the British High Commission demonstrated its support for the development of rugby by donating a range of training equipment to the Seychelles Rugby Association. 

In a ceremony held at the British high commissioner’s residence at Bel Air, High Commissioner Patrick Lynch handed over the equipment, which included kit bags, tackle bags, training wedges, cone sets, and training balls, to the chairperson of the Seychelles Rugby Association (SRA), Luke Fonseka. Also present at the handover was the vice-chairperson of SRA, Corrie Opperman. 

Commenting on the British high commission’s continued support of the promotion of sports in Seychelles, High Commissioner Lynch stated:

“The British high commission is delighted to support the Seychelles Rugby Association as it seeks to reignite the love of rugby in Seychelles. This is one of the many initiatives demonstrating UK/Seychelles shared values of youth engagement and our importance placed on health and well-being. 

“We are looking forward to seeing the launch of the league on Saturday. The Seychelles School Premier League has led to over 500 boys and girls participating in football under the guidance of expert coaches. The new national rugby league demonstrates the huge demand for sports in Seychelles, especially after the suspension of activities during the pandemic.” 

Chairperson of the Seychelles Rugby Association, Luke Fonseka, said: “We are very pleased to receive the donation of equipment from the British high commission. This would further strengthen our ability to expand our reach and attract the younger generation to join the sport.” 

The ‘Cable & Wireless Island Nations Cup’ will see four teams, comprising both Seychellois and foreigners working in Seychelles, participate in a six-month rugby league. The first game will kick off today at 3pm at the Mont Fleuri playing field. 

The four teams include the Seychelles team made up of Seychellois players, Seyboks ‒ made up of South African expats, the Madagascar team comprising Malagasy players, and the International Barbarians, consisting of a mix of foreigners residing in Seychelles. 

Since their re-establishment last year, the SRA has made tremendous progress in their agenda to revive rugby in Seychelles. After years of minimal activity, the association has engaged with young people, particularly in schools, to reintroduce rugby at a grassroots level and to ensure the continuity of the sport in the future. 

Just last month, the association successfully held their first-ever contact rugby game, where they competed in a friendly match against a group of officers from a visiting French navy ship. Seychelles came out victorious with 55 points – 5.

The ‘Cable & Wireless Island Nations Cup’ is yet another first for the association.

Contributed

Caption:

SRA vice-chairman Corrie Opperman (left), British High Commissioner Patrick Lynch (centre) and SRA chairman Luke Fonseka