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Toyibat Comprehensive School, Lagos and
Addax Rugby Football Club Junior team, emerged winners of the ‘Friends
of Rugby’ (FOR) organised Mike Ukome under-aged Schools Rugby Football
competition, which was held at St Saviour’s School Ikoyi, Lagos at the
weekend.

According to the
Secretary of FOR, Ntiense Williams, “Friends of Rugby has successfully
brought back schools rugby competition by organising the 2010 Mike
Ukome Schools Rugby championship.”

Playing with
vigour, Toyibat’s players left no one in doubt about their ability to
outdo other competitors when they defeated the host, St Saviour’s by 15
points to 5 points in the first final of the day in the U-11 category.

Despite losing the
trophy to a more determined side, St Saviour’s kids were consoled with
the Most Valuable Player award, which went to Paul Coker.

With the U-11
trophy already secured, Toyibat added the U-16 boy’s trophy by beating
Kings Collage 5 points to nil in a hard fought battle that stretched
into extra time.

With the games
scoreless at full-time, Toyibat had to rely on the experience of their
team captain Wale Akanbi whose solo run made nonsense of the defence
line of Kings Collage to give them a deserved 5 points victory in the
first half of the extra time.

Wale effort also earned him the Most Valuable player’s award for the U-16 event.

Addax stops Toyibat

In the U-14 boys’
category, Addax Rugby Football Club junior team were able to checkmate
Toyibat’s tall ambition. Addax defeated them by 5 points to nil to cart
away all the trophies at stake in the category. Anu Owoeye of Addax
emerged the Most Valuable player of the U-14 cadre. Addax also won the
women category by defeating Toyibat 5 points to nil.

Ifeoma Oguike of
Addax won the Most Valuable players award in the women event that
concluded a very successful tournament – on Saturday.

Participants

Five schools and a
club-side from Lagos participated in the competition that was
resuscitated after a two year hiatus. The schools are: Toyibat
Comprehensive School, Dowen College, Kings Collage, St. Saviours School
and Addax Juniors, the invited club-side.

Emeka Ukome, the
coordinator of the tournament said: “I give great kudos to “Friends of
Rugby” and especially the Chairman, Kelechi Mbagwu for their
sponsorship of the event after a two-year break which was due to lack
of sponsorship.

“I am very
impressed with the turn out at the event and the outcome of the
championship which was put together within a short period of time with
a few schools to start with.” Ukome added that the 2011 edition will be
bigger and better and will be hosted by another school probably Kings
Collage or Toyibat Comprehensive School.

The schools rugby event was well attended by parents, pupils and friends, who cheered the kids all through the tournament.