Queensland Intl Sch wins maiden Rising Star Rugby League tournament
Queensland International School made history by emerging champions in both the boys’ and girls’ divisions at the inaugural Rising Star Rugby League Tournament U15 held at the Englebert School in Accra.
The event, organised by the Rugby League Federation Ghana (RLFG) in collaboration with Futurestars Charity and Salford Red Devils, provided a platform for young athletes to showcase their skills and passion for rugby league.
The all-play-all format tournament featured five schools, 100 children (50 boys and 50 girls), aged 9-15, and over 20 volunteers.
Queensland Boys began the tournament with a 2-2 drawn game with Future Leaders Boys before defeating Englebert Boys 4-0 and Twedaase Boys 2-1 to emerge victorious, with Twedaase School, Tema Cluster Boys, Future Leaders Boys and Englebert Boys following in that order.
The girls from Queensland followed in the footsteps of their male counterparts, beating both Future Leaders and Tema Cluster 2-1 before going down by the same scoreline to Twedaase Girls.
They, however, ensured the top spot with a 4-3 victory over Englebert Girls in the final game, leaving Twedaase, Future Leaders, Englebert and Tema Cluster Girls to follow in that order on the medal table.
Special guest of honour, Mr Keith McMahon, Deputy British High Commissioner, commended RLFG for the initiative, noting that the energy and talent on display were inspiring.
“The tournament is a fantastic platform for these young athletes to develop their skills and grow the sport in Ghana and I urge the RLFG to continue with their good works,” he added.
On her part, the president of RLFG, Madam Juliana Storey, congratulated all the participating teams for their stellar performance, adding that the passion, determination, and talent on display confirm that her outfit is on the right path in its mission to grow the sport.
She promised to We continue investing in grassroots development to ensure a bright future for the young athletes.
RLFG General Manager, Mr Jafaru Mustapha, said the enthusiasm from these young athletes during the tournament is proof that rugby league has a promising future and stated that they were going to expand the tournament and provide more opportunities for young players across Ghana to enjoy the game.
He thanked Mr Emmanuel Okyne-Tetteh, Futurestars Charity Country leader, for the opportunity to partner with his outfit to hold a successful tournament.
BY RAYMOND ACKUMEY
