From Abdullahi jalaluddeen/Kano
The Chairman, Kano State Rugby Association, Martins Crawford has urged Nigeria’s Minister of Sports, Sunday Dare to reverse the dissolution of Nigeria Rugby Football Federation-NRFF to evade the eminent backwardness faced by the suspension by Rugby Africa.
Crawford stated this while briefing Journalist in Kano.
He said the dissolution of the Board of the federation by the Sports Minister infringed on the provisions of the constitution of the federation, prompting the African governing body to suspend Nigeria from participating in all its activities.
Crawford noted that the suspension has already transmitted into unaccountable losses to Nigerian sports sector.
He said Nigeria would not compete in the Rugby World Cup slated for Burkina Faso next month.
“Rugby Africa was to be responsible for all the bills from taxi fares to air tickets, hotels bills and other logistics”
He bemoan the excruciating pains suffered by the players, explaining that preparation by the Nigerian squad for the Rugby World Cup qualifiers were already in top gear before the abrupt dissolution.
Crawford further stressed that Nigerian born rugby players plying their trade in South Africa, Italy and England had already enlisted to feature for Nigeria at their self expense in service to their fatherland, adding that the development is detrimental to the moral of the players .
He appealed to Mr Sunday Dare and other critical stakeholders to reverse the decision to shelve further damage that may be caused from the hammer of the world rugby governing body in the interest of sports development.
Crawford cautioned that the world rugby governing body frowns at all forms of government inference in the running of the game of rugby,
“the dissolved NRRF board were elected under the supervision of Rugby Africa with an agreement that the lapses evident in the NRFF statues will be amended, in contrast to the gentleman agreement, the Minister opt to act in a manner that contravenes the whole provisions of the statues governing the game “.