Rwanda Cricket Association

Last updated

Rwanda Cricket Association
Sport Cricket
Founded1999–2000
Affiliation International Cricket Council
Affiliation date2003
Regional affiliation Africa
Location Kigali, Rwanda
Official website
www.rwandacricket.rw
Flag of Rwanda.svg

Rwanda Cricket Association is the official governing body of cricket sports in Rwanda. [1] [2] Its current headquarters is located in kicukiro district in Kigali city .

Contents

Rwanda Cricket Association is Rwanda's representative at the International Cricket Council and is an associate member and has been a member of that body since 2003. [3] It is also a member of the African Cricket Association. [4]

Today, cricket is one of the fastest-growing sports in Rwanda. The game was first introduced in the country after the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, following the return of many Rwandans who had been exiled in English-speaking cricket-playing neighboring countries – such as Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.

Gahanga Cricket Stadium Gahanga Cricket Stadium.jpg
Gahanga Cricket Stadium

Most of these exiles were students and played the game while pursuing their studies at the National University of Rwanda (now University of Rwanda). IPRC Kigali later became the home of cricket and went on to host several league and schools cricket competitions before the establishment of Gahanga Cricket Stadium; the first international stadium in 2017. Charles Haba, one of the pioneers of the game at the National University of Rwanda went on to become the first President of the Association which was founded between 1999 and 2000. [5]

Gahanga Cricket stadium in Kicukiro Gahanga Cricket Oval in Kicukiro.jpg
Gahanga Cricket stadium in Kicukiro

The game is now played by over 23,010 people across the country. RCA’s annual calendar includes international competitions, domestic club competitions (50-over league, T20 league and most recently a T10 league which attracts the country’s top clubs). [6]

Other regular competitions include the schools’ competition and a university competition.

Emmanuel Byiringiro is the General Manager of RCA.

Landry Rurangwa is the Development Manager.

Key milestones

In 2003, Rwanda Cricket Association became an affiliate member of the International Cricket Council (ICC)

In 2004, Rwanda made its debut at an ICC tournament when the national senior men’s team participated in the ICC Africa Affiliates Championship in Benoni, South Africa.

In 2010, Rwanda Cricket Association celebrated its 10-year anniversary.

In 2011, Rwanda were crowned champions of the ICC T20 Africa Division 3 tournament.

In 2017, Rwanda Cricket Association inaugurated Gahanga Cricket Stadium; the first international standard Stadium in Rwanda. [7] [8] [9]

Rwanda female cricket players Rwanda national female cricket players.jpg
Rwanda female cricket players

In 2018, Rwanda hosted the World T20 Africa B Qualifier.

In 2019, Rwanda hosted the ICC World Cup Trophy. [10]

In July 2020, Rwanda Cricket Association won the 100% Cricket Participation Programme of the Year award, in the ICC's Annual Development Awards.

In 2022, Rwanda hosted the 2022-23 ICC T20 World Cup Africa Qualifier.

In 2023, Rwanda Under-19 women's team participated in the ICC Women's Under-19 T20 World Cup in South Africa. They managed to get in to the Super 6 after defeating Zimbabwe in the group stage. They also created history by defeating West Indies in the Super 6 by 4 wickets.

The national senior women’s team is ranked 7th in Africa [11]

2021- update:

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, most sports activities were cancelled. However, Rwanda Cricket Association is set to hold the annual Kwibuka T20 Tournament at Gahanga Cricket Oval in June 2021. Five national teams are expected at the event.

Board Members

President – Mr Stephen Musaale

Vice President - Mr Audifax Byiringiro

General Secretary - Mr Julius Mbaraga

Treasurer - Mr Srinath Vardhineni

Women Representative – Ms. Sonia Uwimana [12]

Awards

YearAward
2014ICC Spirit of Cricket
2015ICC Global Development Image
2017ICC Spirit of Cricket
2018ICC Best Women’s Cricket Initiative
2019ICC Africa Good Governance
2020100% Cricket Participation Programme of the Year

Ground

Gahanga Cricket Stadium and IPRC Cricket Ground are the main cricket grounds in Rwanda.

In August 2011, Rwanda Cricket Stadium Foundation was formed to build and manage, on a not-for-profit basis, the first dedicated international cricket ground in Rwanda. The stadium sits on 4.5-hectares on the outskirts of Kigali, Rwanda's capital.

The charity is run by a team of cricket enthusiasts from the UK Christopher Shale and Rwanda in partnership with the Marylebone Cricket Club Foundation.

In 2012, Brian Lara agreed to join a decorated list of patrons; British Prime Minister David Cameron, Andrew Mitchell, Jonathan Agnew, Heather Knight and Peter Gummer, Baron Chadlington

Gahanga Cricket Stadium was officially launched in 2017. [13]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tanzania national cricket team</span>

The Tanzania national cricket team is the men's team that represents Tanzania in international cricket. Cricket has been played in what is now Tanzania since 1890, and the national side first played in 1951. The Tanzania Cricket Association became an associate member of the International Cricket Council (ICC) in 2001, having previously been part of the East and Central Africa Cricket Conference, which was a member of the ICC in its own right.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lesotho national cricket team</span>

The Lesotho national cricket team is the team that represents Lesotho in international cricket. They became an affiliate member of the International Cricket Council (ICC) in 2001 and an associate member in 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malawi national cricket team</span> Cricket team

The Malawian national cricket team is the men's team that represents Malawi in international cricket.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mozambique national cricket team</span> Cricket team

The Mozambique national cricket team is the men's team that represents Mozambique in international cricket. The team is administered by the Mozambican Cricket Association which became an affiliate member of International Cricket Council (ICC) in 2003, and an associate member in 2017. Mozambique is also a member of the Africa Cricket Association. The Mozambique national cricket team has competed in the World Cricket League Africa Region, Cricket World Cup and the ICC Africa Twenty20 Championship.

The Rwandan national cricket team is the team that represents Rwanda in international cricket. They became an affiliate member of the International Cricket Council (ICC) in 2003 and an associate member in 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kenya women's national cricket team</span> Cricket team

The Kenya national women's cricket team is the team that represents the country of Kenya in international women's cricket. Their first matches were in January 2006 when they played a triangular series against Kenya A and Uganda.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tanzania women's national cricket team</span> Cricket team

The Tanzanian women's cricket team is the team that represents the country of Tanzania in international women's cricket.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uganda women's national cricket team</span> Cricket team

The Uganda women's national cricket team represents Uganda in international women's cricket. They played their first matches as part of a triangular series that also involved Kenya and Kenya's A side in January 2006. They played in the African regional qualifiers for the 2009 World Cup in December 2006 against Kenya, Tanzania and Zimbabwe. They finished third in the tournament.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cameroon national cricket team</span> Cricket team

The Cameroon national cricket team is the men's team that represents Cameroon in international cricket. The team is organised by the Cameroon Cricket Federation, which gained affiliate membership of the International Cricket Council (ICC) on 29 June 2007 and became an associate member in 2017. However, the national side did not make its debut until 2011, when it played in the 2011 Africa Division Three tournament in Ghana.

The Eswatini national cricket team represents Eswatini, a country in Southern Africa, in international cricket. The Eswatini national cricket team, which is administered by the Eswatini Cricket Association, became an affiliate member of the International Cricket Council (ICC) in 2007. The team, along with Cameroon, the Falkland Islands, and Peru, was promoted to affiliate status in 2007 by the ICC. In 2017, they became associate members. Eswatini is also a member of the African Cricket Association. The Eswatini national cricket team would compete in the World Cricket League Africa Region and the ICC Africa Twenty20 Championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seychelles national cricket team</span>

The Seychelles national cricket team represents the country of Seychelles in international cricket. The team is organised by the Seychelles Cricket Association (SCA) which became an affiliate member of the International Cricket Council (ICC) in 2010 and an associate member in 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rwanda Cricket Stadium</span> Cricket ground in Rwanda

Rwanda Cricket Stadium, also known as Kicukiro Oval, is a cricket ground in Kigali, Rwanda. The stadium is officially titled the Gahanga International Cricket Stadium. The ground is Rwanda's first dedicated international cricket ground and has quickly became a prominent ground in African cricket.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Namibia women's national cricket team</span> Cricket team

The Namibia women's national cricket team, nicknamed the Capricorn Eagles, represents the country of Namibia in international women's cricket. The team is organised by Cricket Namibia, which has been a member of the International Cricket Council (ICC) since 1992.

The Rwanda women's national cricket team is the team that represents Rwanda in international women's cricket.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mali women's national cricket team</span> Cricket team

The Mali national women's cricket team is the team that represents Mali in international women's cricket. The team is organised by the Malian Cricket Federation and is nicknamed the "Lady Eagles of Cricket". It made its international debut in 2015 and has played in regional tournaments in Africa, but is yet to participate in an International Cricket Council (ICC) pathway event.

The 2021 ICC Men's T20 World Cup Africa Qualifier was a cricket tournament played as part of the qualification process for the 2022 ICC Men's T20 World Cup, during October and November 2021.

The 2021 Kwibuka Women's T20 Tournament was a women's T20I cricket (WT20I) tournament held in Rwanda from 6 to 12 June 2021. This was the seventh edition of the annual Kwibuka T20 Tournament, first organised 2014 in remembrance of the victims of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi. All matches were played at the Gahanga International Cricket Stadium in Kigali. Tanzania won the 2019 edition but did not defend the title this year. The 2020 edition of the tournament was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Ghana cricket team toured Rwanda in August 2021 to play a five-match Twenty20 International (T20I) series at the Gahanga International Cricket Stadium in Kigali. The series provided preparation for both teams ahead of the 2021 ICC Men's T20 World Cup Africa Sub-Regional Qualifier, that was also played in Kigali in October 2021.

The Integrated Polytechnic Regional College Ground is a cricket ground, in Kigali, Rwanda.

The Kwibuka T20 Tournament is a women's Twenty20 cricket tournament played annually in Rwanda since 2014. The tournament was originally named the Kwibuka Cricket for Peace tournament, and is played in remembrance of the victims of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi. Initially the tournament featured exclusively East African nations, but in more recent editions has expanded to include teams from across Africa and beyond.

References

  1. ↑ Gheerbrant, James (14 October 2017). "Cricketers delivering Rwanda from hatred" . Retrieved 5 January 2018– via www.thetimes.co.uk.
  2. ↑ Hoult, Nick (18 February 2016). "Field of dreams" . Retrieved 5 January 2018– via s.telegraph.co.uk.
  3. ↑ "Ireland and Afghanistan ICC newest full members amid wide-ranging governance reform". International Cricket Council . 22 June 2017. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
  4. ↑ "Rwanda Cricket Association". Rwanda Cricket Association. Retrieved 5 December 2020.
  5. ↑ "Cricket – Visit Rwanda" . Retrieved 5 December 2020.
  6. ↑ "Lycee, Kagarama crowned CSR schools cricket champs". The New Times | Rwanda. 25 October 2010. Retrieved 5 December 2020.
  7. ↑ "Gahanga Int'l Cricket Stadium launched today". The New Times | Rwanda. 27 October 2017. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
  8. ↑ "VIDEO: Kagame inaugurates Gahanga Cricket oval, urges focus on development". The New Times | Rwanda. 28 October 2017. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
  9. ↑ Historical Inauguration of Gahanga Cricket Stadium in Kigali , retrieved 29 May 2021
  10. ↑ "VIDEO: International Cricket WCup trophy arrives in Kigali". The New Times | Rwanda. 8 February 2019. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
  11. ↑ "ICC Ranking for T20 teams International Cricket Council". www.icc-cricket.com. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
  12. ↑ "Cricket: Stephen Musaale to focus on infrastructure, corporate sponsorship". The New Times | Rwanda. 27 April 2021. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
  13. ↑ "Kagame Inaugurates Gahanga Cricket Oval". KT PRESS. 28 October 2017. Retrieved 29 May 2021.


This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.