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From humble beginnings ... how
the Silverbacks found their roar

2003

Rwanda's national rugby team make their international debut against Zambia in the Whitespoon Sugar Tournament, a Confederation of African Rugby (CAR) Division 2 contest, which they lose 107-9. The players regroup for their second match in the tournament to beat Burundi 18-5.

2008

Hong Kong-born chartered surveyor and rugby enthusiast Dave Hughes arrives in Rwanda as a charity worker and discovers, to his surprise and delight, there is a fledgling rugby scene in the capital, Kigali. He soon becomes involved, playing, coaching and helping to organise tournaments.

2009

Dave returns to live in Hong Kong, leaving his rugby colleagues with a promise that he will organise a tour to his native city which will include playing in a tournament and watching the famous Hong Kong Sevens. He spends a frantic few months securing sponsorship, calling in favours from family, friends and colleagues, and drumming up as much support as he can.

2010 – March

The dream comes true. Rwanda’s national team, the Silverbacks, make their first ever overseas tour, taking part in the Kowloon RugbyFest, a 10-a-side tournament that is a key component of Hong Kong’s Festival of Rugby Week. They finish runners-up in the second-tier Plate competition and make hundreds of new friends.

The Silverbacks also benefit from training sessions with some top coaches, including Japan coach John Kirwan and former Scotland coach Frank Hadden, and rub shoulders with elite players from New Zealand, Australia and the UK. In addition, the famous Penguins Coaching Academy puts each player through a grassroots coaching course so they can teach the basics of the game back home.

The Rwandan team cap a memorable visit by watching the Hong Kong Sevens courtesy of the Hong Kong Rugby Football Union, who waive the cost of their tickets. And HKRFU director of development Ruth Mitchell organises a huge collection of playing kit and boots from the Hong Kong rugby community for the players to take back to Rwanda.

The trip is a fantastic rugby and life experience for the players, who prove superb ambassadors for their country. They return home to face the challenge of growing rugby in Rwanda – increasing playing numbers, improving the coaching structure and adding new facilities.

2010 – April

Rugby in Rwanda begins to boom as a result of the historic tour. Youngsters start taking up the sport in impressive numbers while more and more women players are attracted to the game. Many teams play in kit donated by Hong Kong clubs.

2010 – December

Another first for Rwandan rugby as two of Scotland’s top coaches visit the African country. Former Scotland national coach Frank Hadden and Scottish Rugby Union referee development manager Colin Brett conduct a week-long series of clinics with the Silverbacks national team, plus the U14s, U18s and the national women’s team. Their visit is organised by the Penguins Coaching Academy, which provides tuition clinics in rugby backwaters all over the world. At the same time, it is confirmed the Silverbacks will return to Hong Kong in March 2011.

2011 – February

The Federation Rwandaise de Rugby (Rwandan Rugby Federation) at last secures a home pitch, taking out a three-year lease on a playing field belonging to a school in Kigali. Securing a dedicated pitch is a direct result of the expansion rugby is undergoing in Rwanda, with the Hong Kong tours the driving force. The new pitch gives added impetus to the FRR’s development programmes that are designed to provide the sport with a solid base.

2011 – March

The Silverbacks make their second Hong Kong tour, this time enjoying a training session with the French Pyrenees, one of the teams competing in the elite-level HKFC Tens. The Rwandans subsequently reach the top-tier Cup semi-finals in the Kowloon RugbyFest and complete a Level 1 coaching course organised by the Penguins Coaching Academy. They also attend the Hong Kong Sevens and head for home with enough donated kit to equip an entire league after HKRFU director of development Ruth Mitchell again organises a collection.