Cosmos Buffalos win Rugby 7s gala

The Cosmos Buffalos stood tallest by defeating league champions Dansoman Hurricanes 27-5 in the final of the Ghana Rugby Association’s end of year 7s Gala at the Ajax park in Legon on Saturday. Cosmos were ruthless throughout having already demolished IDAS Rugby Club 26-0 in their group B prelims.

Hurricanes who won the maiden Greater Accra Rugby League earlier this year, defeated Accra Sharks 22-0 in their group A tiebreaker having earlier drawn 5-5 in the opening game.

The 7s gala also had Coastal Beach Boys taking on Ashanti Black Bulls and Oguaaman Ocean Warriors Ladies against Cosmos Buffalo Ladies in exhibition matches. The Ashanti team played their first ever rugby match as a result, leaving Ghana Rugby President Gifty Annan-Myers in ecstasy over what she perceives as a great future for the sport in this country.

She told ALL SPORTS: “It’s been a very successful day and we are very excited. This year has been unique, for the first time we played a league which was by Dansoman Hurricanes and we also held this gala to bring everybody together. Our sponsors have also been very supportive and have started making noise already so next year certainly is going to be better. We are going to go a step further,” Ms. Annan-Myers, also Executive Member of the Confederation of African Rugby, stated.

She is also appreciative to the University of Ghana who have given out a land for the construction of a modern rugby pitch for the association.

“We appreciate the benevolence of the University of Ghana allowing us to play here. We’ve taken the first step and that’s all the benevolence of UG, they are handing us the Rugby pitch supported by National Sports Authority who will refurbish it,” stated the Ghana Rugby capo who further disclosed that the association will climax the year with training courses for coaches, referees and journalists between 9th and 22nd December.

One of those sponsors are Clifton Homes who took care of last Saturday’s gala and are promising even more.

Ernest Hanson, Managing Partner of Clifton Homes and a keen rugby enthusiast, and whose company already sponsors Accra Sharks, says they are determined to help Ghana qualify for the 2016 Olympics when the sport is incorporated.

Mr. Hanson told ALL SPORTS: “There is too much noise on football sponsorship and you can grow by sponsoring a growing sport like rugby. The management of Clifton Homes are also big fans of rugby. We would like to put Ghana in the position to be able to play in the Olympic games of 2016.

“We’ll continue to sponsor Accra Sharks and we’ll also support the national set-up. I invite other corporate bodies to get on board because there is value in sponsoring rugby. The game has a future and there is economic as well as corporate value.”