Umukino-Kinyarwanda, Rwanda Sports, African Football, European Football, Soccer, Rugby, Tennis, Basketball

The national volleyball league starts today, with fixtures taking place in different venues of the country and it is expected that the league will attract much attention from volleyball fans all over the country.

According to the Technical Director of Rwanda Volleyball Federation (FRVB), Mr. Christian Hatungimana, there are currently 9 teams and 6 teams for men and women respectively that will compete in this season’s league.

Mr. Hatungimana also said that 2 teams in the men’s league and 1 team from the women’s league withdrew. Kagarama Secondary School and College Inyemeramihigo from Gisenyi withdrew from the men’s league, while National University of Rwanda (NUR) withdrew from the women’s league. The complete list of teams is as follows:

Men: APR, St. Joseph, Groupe Scolaire Officiel de Butare, KVC, Christ Loi, Lycée de Nyanza, UNR, UNATEK and KIE.

Women: RRA, Lyée de Nyanza, St. Aloys, APR, Ruhango and St. Joseph

He further added that this season’s league will be not be any different from last season’s, with participating teams having been drawn into groups of threes. He said that this method was adopted as it was realized as one of the method that will develop Volleyball in Rwanda.

Meanwhile there will be fixtures today in Group 1 and 2 with APR, Groupe Scolaire Officiel de Butare and St. Joseph battling it out at Groupe Scolaire de Butare venue grounds.

At the same time KVC, Lycée de Nyanza and Christ Loi will be locking horns in the other group, home to Christ Loi.

In other related news, it is reported that there have been wrangles between Lycée de Nyanza Volleyball Club and National University of Rwanda Volleyball Club, over the former’s intent to illegally sign Olivier Ntagengwa from the latter. It is believed that Lycée de Nyanza approached Olivier and offered him a lucrative contract to play for them without NUR’s consent, to which Olivier agreed. This action fuelled a lot retaliatory response from NUR which immediately revoked the transfer and immediately recalled Olivier to rejoin his former club. According to NUR’s assistant coach, Mr. BAGIRISHYA J. de Dieu, there is no player in NUR squad who is allowed to switch to other clubs during his time at the University. He said that the transfer was illegal, and that Olivier has been recalled to NUR team. He added, “We shall refund all the money that Lycée de Nyanza used during this transfer, but we are under no pressure to do so.”