Only two African teams will be competing when the Rugby World Cup begins in France next month. Africa isn't known for a love of the sport, but the head of Rugby Africa, Herbert Mensah, has high hopes that will change.
Mensah, a businessman from Ghana, has headed rugby's governing body on the African continent since March 2023.
He told RFI sports correspondent Babacar Diarra about his ambitious plans.
The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
RFI: First of all, we'd like to know your personal story with rugby. Are you a former player?
Herbert Mensah: Yes, rugby is life. I've always liked all sports but I played mainly rugby at school, at university.
I played in England, in South Africa and in Zimbabwe. I played one international, my only, against Italy. Then I came back and played one season for Saracens in London.
So yes, rugby has been in my blood from the age of six.
RFI: One of the keys to developing sport is money. How do you expect to raise funds and to encourage people to invest in African rugby?
HM: My mantra for decades, and especially in the few months in my presidency, has been that sport is big business. Sport often attracts people who can play but don't understand the administration of the game.
If you understand that sport is big business, then you understand that there needs to be a dynamic change. Especially in players' nutrition and lifestyle.
Also sport is now global, not only European. Africa has great content and is the largest continent on earth. The greatest sportspeople have some heritage from Africa, even here in France. We need to get the investment and infrastructure back into our continent.
RFI: A lot of other sports are more popular in Africa than rugby. How would you convince a little kid from Ghana to pick up a rugby ball?
HM: The support requires investment, which starts with good friends. I've been lucky enough to have meetings with the African Union, with government bodies, to make rugby part of the curriculum.
We have been pushing in the four or five months that I've been with Rugby Africa to get countries to start developing rugby pitches. Because you don't even see rugby pitches in most countries. And a lot of the footballers say they don't want "the big guys" on their football pitches.
The government of Kenya has now allocated land to play rugby, Zimbabwe has too. Even in Ghana, we've now got the first purpose-built rugby pitch for the African Games next year. Rugby is now included in the African Games.
Some countries are now investing huge amounts of money in grass-roots sports. They recognise that not everybody can play basketball or football. First you put the investment in, then people start to say, "ah, we can play rugby".
It's a process. It means changing mindsets in governments, in Rugby Africa and even with the global bodies.
RFI: In the Rugby World Cup in France, two nations – South Africa and Namibia –will represent the continent in this year's tournament. Do you foresee other countries catching up soon?
HM: Without investment, you're not going to get African countries doing better.
Some people only play a test match every year or every two years. Athletes are not given the opportunity to play regularly.
We are asking our partners to revisit the issue of where rugby is going today, and how to invest in Africa to ensure that we move step by step, so that the major nations can at least play six to eight matches a year.
RFI: What are the chances in your opinion of seeing South Africa, the world champions, doing it again in France?
HM: You know, in the world of sports only the fans expect to win every time. The realists know you cannot.
I think this World Cup will be extraordinary and I have to congratulate France. They've developed an extraordinary structure and there has been a programme of excellence. They're surely the favourites to win the World Cup this year.
South Africa are the champions, but with the injury of Handré Pollard and three or four others players not in, they're coming into the tournament with a slightly weaker squad.
As an African, I'm waving the flag of the champions, South Africa, but with full respect for the hosts.
RFI: Siya Kolisi is fully fit to play with South Africa again. Do you believe that, as a black captain, he's opening the path for kids on the continent?
HM: I think so. You see it across the continent. You see it in South Africa. Not only because he is captain, but because of his humility.
He represents the personality that the world needs today, the driving force of excellence, and a winner. He represents rugby for all – for white, black, tall, short, everything that you can imagine.
The South African Sevens squad now has more black players involved. It's happening in Zimbabwe and Namibia as well.
It's not a colour thing, let me be clear, but you have more people looking to play.
RFI: Africa gets two spots in the Rugby World Cup. America has none. Japan is the only team representing Asia. Can Africans get a third team in a few years?
HM: It is difficult – rugby is a physical game. It is more than sport, it is a battle of excellence. The skill levels are extreme.
But we can do what happened with football: I was involved in a small way in encouraging Fifa to increase the number of [African] teams allowed. They argued about the investment, but I said put us there first. If you increase the number of teams to three, four, five, governments will put money in, because it is prestigious and people want it.
We have 37 countries playing in Rugby Africa. Can you imagine if we had teams? Kenya could be there and could hold their own. Algeria could be there.
Football first said no, then yes, and what happened recently? Morocco won [against Portugal]; Cameroon beat Brazil. Senegal did incredibly well, and Ghana too.
So give us more competitions. Get African countries to play in bigger competitions. Then we could have two, three, four African countries being able to compete worldwide – maybe not champions right away, but able to take part. Give Africans their chances.
RFI: Last year, there was a controversy after the Rugby Africa Cup took place in France and not on the continent. Do you understand that?
HM: I do and I think it was the wrong decision. I was not in charge and I think it was a bad advertisement for Africa.
It was a big mistake; it will not happen again.
RFI: Finally, why do you believe in a better future for rugby in Africa ?
HM: We have a new team at Rugby Africa, I'm a new president, it's a completely new vision.
The world has changed, and is changing by the minute. We'll see greater excellence in Africa.
Have belief in us. We believe in ourselves. It's time for you to believe in us as well.
