Oxford University tour of Ghana

[JonM]

Oxford University RLFC arrived in Ghana for their tour. They play a President's XIII tomorrow and the national team next Saturday, both games at the University of Ghana in Accra.

More details here: https://www.rl-ghana.com/news

[IM2]

what a great initiative. imagine the impact of a name like Oxford touring Ghana will make. Send Cambridge next year!

[JonM]

Oxford won 24-8. Seems like they spent quite a while fundraising to pay for the trip beforehand, and will also be running coaching sessions in local schools and for their counterparts at the university of Ghana. Quite impressed to read that teams from the Ghanaian womens and junior championships were playing games beforehand.

[JonM]

Interview with the Oxford Uni president.

 

[fighting irish]

Bravo, Oxford.

This is how to spread the game fellas. 

Great (can do) attitude, great initiative.

Things like this make me feel very optimistic about the future of our game. 

[IM2]

yes a great effort all round. student game is a great tool to develop the game globally. i imagine some great press was generated in Ghana due to having such a great brand as Oxford Uni touring there. suspect many more people now know Ghana RL is there 

[JonM]

Ghana beat Oxford University 52-30 last weekend. Amongst all the schools coaching sessions, the visitors also managed to fit in an extra midweek game, beating the University of Ghana. Reception at the British High Commission, hosted by the high commissioner and her deputy, for the tourists and a delegation from the Ghana RFL.

[The Future is League]

We need more tours like this to countries where Rugby League is developing.

[fighting irish]

That's quite a result for Ghana isn't it?

[JonM]

7 hours ago, fighting irish said:

That's quite a result for Ghana isn't it?

Hard to say, isn't it? They certainly have come on a long way since the GB Pioneers toured there in 2014, with the 2022 national team selected from 6 different clubs, and also women's, university, youth and schools games this week. Some pretty athletic looking players in all the matches, and quite a lot of people in attendance by the looks of the photos.

Oxford perhaps not one of the strongest University teams, but as IM2 said, great brand recognition, and I'm sure the name helped with things like getting the British High Commission involved and perhaps the Uni was able to help a bit with a donation (AIUI the players had to raise the money themselves). I guess the fact that they beat two teams and lost to the national team in a reasonably competitive game suggests they were an appropriately strong team for the tour - better than turning up and being thrashed, or winning all the games easily.

Ghana lost to Nigeria and beat Cameroon  in their last outings; this tour will surely help with their preparation for this year's MEA championships.

[IM2]

On 15/07/2022 at 16:03, JonM said:

Ghana beat Oxford University 52-30 last weekend. Amongst all the schools coaching sessions, the visitors also managed to fit in an extra midweek game, beating the University of Ghana. Reception at the British High Commission, hosted by the high commissioner and her deputy, for the tourists and a delegation from the Ghana RFL.

I think this will be massive for RL in Ghana. British education is the model in the country and Oxford will be seen as a massive name there. It will be huge I suspect.

[Oxford]

Oxford University tour of Ghana

This is a pinch me I'm dreaming title, isn't it?

It's more like a list of:

headline you won't see in mainstream newspapers,

questions that won't appear in Question of Sport,

Positive things things to ignore about TGG for posters on RL social media.

Great chuffing news and brilliant from Oxford ( the team no me )