Ghana Rugby Inaugurates Officers And Board

The Ghana Rugby Football Union (GRFU), has inaugurated a new Board and Officers in Accra.

This follows the adoption of a new Constitution on July 2017, at its Annual General Meeting held in Accra-Ghana.

The new Constitution was adopted to bring the governance structures of the GRFU in line with best practice governance, whereby the role of the Board as strategic management organ is divorced from the operational administration of the Union.

Mr. Herbert Mensah, former President of the GRFU, was elected unopposed as President of the GRFU, and was also elected as a Board Member. The newly elected Board subsequently appointed him as Chairman.

The other nominated Board Members who were elected include Abdul-Aziz Issah, Bismark Amponsah, James Nunoo Mensah, Kobina Nyarko, Rian Malan (South Africa) and Steve Noi.

In addition to the six elected Board Members, a Ghana Rugby Union Players Association (GRUPA) representative, Michael Ako Wilson, was also elected unopposed to the newly formed Board.

The Board, at a special meeting after the elections, appointed Ms Rafatu Inusah to the Board as Women's Representative.

The election of the Officers and Board was overseen by a Board representative of Rugby Afrique, Marcellin Zahui, as well as by the National Sports Authority of Ghana.

Hebert Mensah
Also present at the occasion was a film crew from World Rugby, who landed in Accra on Sunday night to compile features on Ghana Rugby for World Rugby TV.

The GRFU Constitution also provides for the appointment of four independent Directors. The newly elected Board will be responsible for identifying suitable candidates and for inviting them to apply for the positions.

According to Herbert Mensah, the change in governance comes at a time when Ghana Rugby has managed to obtain Full Membership of World Rugby.

“The challenges Ghana Rugby are facing have changed dramatically since becoming full members of World Rugby as that has opened the doors for Ghana Rugby to enter the global stage of the Game. To meet these enormous challenges, investments will be required regarding increasing the performance levels of our national teams,” Mensah said.

He added that, the future of Ghana Rugby is still very much dependent on the rolling out the grassroots youth development plans nationally, but that the need for increased participation in international match opportunities for the national teams will add enormous new pressure on the GRFU.

According to Mensah, “The new Ghana Rugby Board will have to guide the Union strategically to ensure the necessary resourcing, while putting solid operational structures in place. Running a national federation is not dissimilar to running any big corporate body, and the Board would have its work cut out for them and for the operational units that they will put in place.”