Rwandan rugby hails ‘great friend’ Ruth

Rwandan rugby chiefs have expressed their delight after staunch supporter and charity worker Ruth Mitchell was honoured by the IRB with the prestigious Women’s Personality of the Year Award.

Ruth organised two hugely successful kit and equipment collections during the Rwandan national squad’s tours to Hong Kong in 2010 and this year. As a result, countless teams of all ages and abilities in the East African country now turn out in playing gear donated by Hong Kong clubs.

“Ruth has been a great friend to us and the entire rugby community here in Rwanda is thrilled about her award,” said national team captain Djuma-Adams Mugabo.

“After each of our tours to Hong Kong we returned home with dozens of bags packed with full playing kit, boots, tracksuits, training gear and all sorts of other gifts that Ruth had collected. Her contribution to the development of Rwandan rugby has been immense and will never be forgotten.”

Ruth, the Hong Kong Rugby Football Union’s director of development, was recognised for her wide-ranging contribution to the sport at the 2011 IRB Awards Dinner in Auckland this week following the conclusion of the Rugby World Cup.

Other award winners at the star-studded event included France captain Thierry Dusautoir (Player of the Year), New Zealand (Team of the Year) and Graham Henry (Coach of the Year).

After a long playing career which included numerous appearances for Hong Kong, Ruth has been national team manager for both the women’s sevens and 15s teams. She is chair of both the Women’s Rugby Committee and the Hong Kong Women’s Sevens Organising Committee, and is currently serving her third term as director of development.

In addition to helping Rwandan rugby, her tireless charity work has included raising funds for breast cancer awareness and she is a trustee of the HKRFU Charitable Trust.

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Released on behalf of Rwandan rugby by Two Up Front – Asia’s sports PR specialists.