As new initiatives gather pace across Nigeria, Rugby Developments in Schools and Academies are shifting from plans on paper to action on playing fields, with December set to showcase the sport’s next generation. From Benin City to Lagos, the drumbeat is the same, build structures for young athletes, give them meaningful competition, and connect classrooms to the wider rugby world.
In Edo State, the spark is coming from Eyoto Sports Academy, a renowned non-profit that has confirmed rugby as a headline feature in its December championships. The academy, long focused on nurturing young talents, is widening its scope beyond athletics so that more students can find a pathway into sport.
The centrepiece arrives on December 10 at Edo Boys High School in Benin City, where a students’ rugby competition will be staged under the coordination of Edo State rugby head coach Ntiense Williams. His full technical team will be on the ground to facilitate an invitational event that brings together four female and four male teams, selected from schools approved by the Edo State Ministry of Education.
The pool of approved schools provides a true cross section of the city’s academic heartbeat. Army Day Group of School, Imaguero Grammar School, Oredo College, Ogbe Secondary School, Technical Group of Schools, Iyoba Girls College and Western Boys Grammar School, Uselu Senior Secondary School, New Era Girls College, Iyogbe Secondary School, Idia College, Emotan College, Uralo Secondary School Iraokhor, Ogbona Secondary School and the hosts, Edo Boys High School, Adolor.
Eyoto’s December expansion sits on firm groundwork laid through the year, from rugby introduction in schools to athletics for under 15 and open categories, and a scholarship package awarded to 10 outstanding young talents. The academy operates from an office at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin City, a symbolic address for a project rooted in community access and visibility.
President Chief Dr. Felix Idahosa speaks of motivation as much as medals, stating, “Our greatest joy is seeing young people compete with all their hearts and strengths,” a sentiment that underscores the introduction of rugby as a new stage for ambition. For many students, the December dates are not just fixtures but a first taste of the rhythm of a rugby tournament day.
That energy is mirrored in the leadership group. Vice president Dr. Festus Idahosa Erese has highlighted the academy’s commitment to diversifying sport, while treasurer Friday Enoye says the 2025 and 2026 editions will surpass expectations. For families and teachers, that promise is about continuity, more time on the ball, and a stronger culture that keeps youngsters engaged and progressing through clear pathways.
The technical anchor is Williams, known across the community as Mr Rugby, and his view of development is grounded in history as well as ambition. “This schools programme, which was initiated in 2011 has greatly assisted Edo State to be a National Champion in Youth Games Rugby events and in extension the Open Championship as well,” he explained. He added a remarkable recent milestone, “the recently completed National Women Sevens Rugby Tournament which Edo State Female Team won in grand style and made history as the only team to have played and won all games without conceding a defeat or any point against.”
Momentum at the top level can be a lighthouse for rising talent, and England’s new spark, Bath centre and fly half Max Ojomoh, just offered a timely reminder of where the dream can lead. The 25 year old delivered a man of the match display in England’s 27 to 23 win over Argentina, scoring a try and laying on two assists, including an accurate cross field kick to Immanuel Feyi Waboso and a popped pass to Henry Slade, all on his first outing at Twickenham. A technical report distilled his profile simply, “Ojomoh possesses the kind of triple threat all coaches would want from their inside centre, he can run, kick and pass,” a description that rises off the page for any young player learning the core skills.
What intensifies the Ojomoh storyline for youth is how opportunity can arrive suddenly, then be seized with both hands. Analysts noted he only made the squad after late injuries and withdrawals, yet shone so brightly that he is widely tipped for a Six Nations role in the new year. England, with a clean sweep of four autumn fixtures for the first time since 2016, found a fresh face to energize belief, and commentators were unanimous that they had seen the arrival of England’s next big thing.
Back home, school sport culture is equally important for the breadth of opportunities it creates, and Lagos is offering its own reminder of what a full house can look like. Government College Lagos is bringing its 2025 Annual Inter House Sports Competition to the National Institute of Sports Field, National Stadium in Surulere, starting at 9 am, a day built around house matches, relay races and prize giving. The press statement invites the community warmly, “Join us for a day of friendly rivalry and pride at GCL,” with Mr Paseda Olufemi Bamidele as Guest of Honour and the principals as hosts, a setting that speaks to National Stadium Surulere as a stage for discovery.
When we talk about pipelines, it is also worth recognising models of support that already work across other sports. In Surulere, a staff sergeant at Abalti Military Barracks, identified as Kamarudeen, is backing Tekkers FA, a football academy training on the refurbished arena inside the base, with coach DaSilva Ejun Adedeji praising his consistent help. The academy’s technical crew, including assistant Sunday Jackson, has celebrated wins, lifting the Obele Cup and finishing runners up twice in the Addbrand Youth Cup, with captain Fatai Fuad tipped as the most promising kid, a snapshot of how community support can lift a youth programme.
For Edo’s rugby project, partnerships remain central. Eyoto Sports Academy has stated it is keen to work closely with the Rugby Association and the Edo State Sports Commission to promote the social, physical and welfare condition of students in the state. Williams captured the next step clearly, “We will like to sincerely thank EYOTO Sports Academy for keeping faith with the development of School’s Rugby in Edo State and look forward to more sponsors to help promote the beautiful game of Rugby in Edo State and Nigeria in extension.”
December 10 now stands out as a test and a celebration, a chance to see how school programmes translate into game understanding, teamwork and competitive spirit. With Williams and his technical team facilitating, and with Eyoto’s leadership widening the championship to multiple categories, the pathway is being mapped in front of teachers, parents and pupils. The goal is simple, keep the ladder sturdy from the classroom to the training pitch, then to the competition field where confidence is formed.
Results will come in time, but the foundation is already visible. The approved school list covers a wide network, the scholarships signal commitment, and the women’s sevens triumph shows what a focused system can produce. When a young player watches highlights of Ojomoh’s cross field kick or hears the roar of a school crowd in Surulere, the sport moves from abstract to attainable.
There is also a practical rhythm to what Edo is building, because the academy’s presence at Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium gives a fixed point for families and coaches to connect. The December championships expand the funnel so that more youth teams can taste competition, then return to training with specifics to improve. The aim is that each competition becomes a checkpoint, and each season adds to the habit of playing rugby with purpose and joy.
In many ways, that is what development looks like, a tapestry of small steps that make big leaps possible. A supportive staff sergeant in Surulere, a school principal rallying alumni to fill the stands, a coach nicknamed Mr Rugby setting cones and drills before dawn, all of these details feed the same story. The sport grows when it is present where young people learn, play and dream.
“Our greatest joy is seeing young people compete with all their hearts and strengths.” The words from Eyoto’s president land like a mission statement for the December calendar, and for every school that lines up to pass, tackle and sprint toward a new future in rugby.
