PROMISE KEPT: POLICE ARREST LAGOS RUGBY, COWRIE POWERS ON.

The second game of the on-going Friends of Rugby Lagos rugby league, the Police Rugby Team made good their threat to arrest the good run of Lagos Rugby Football Club as they successfully piped Lagos Rugby Football Club by 12 points to 10 points in a nail biting grilling encounter at the main bowl of the national stadium, surulere, Lagos.

The rugby encounter was well balanced as the Police Rugby team drew the first blood with a wonderful flying Try by Habeeb Issiaka, which was Converted by sure footed Sulymon Oyebola, this was immediately countered by Lagos Rugby Football Club John Kura just four minutes.

Lagos Rugby team Solomon Cokery made it two for his team on the far corner of the post which could not be Converted. Some eleven minutes after, the Emmanuel Ayewa equalized for the Police tea, and a perfect Convertion from Yahaya Samson wrapped up the high tempered & entertaining rugby encounter with a slim victory and second win in a row to the Police Rugby machine. This match was adjudged the star match of the day by fans & match officials.

In the first match of the day a hard fighting Young Lions Rugby FC went down to a more determined new comers to the Lagos Rugby League who threatened their opponents with the indigenous “Haka” by 22 points to nil.

Meanwhile, Defending champions Cowrie Rugby Football Club made good their promise to keep a 100% record in the “Friends of Rugby” organized 2012 Lagos Rugby Union League when they mauled the AJ City boys – Gosar Rugby Football Club by 45 points to 7 points.

RUGBY LEAGUE TABLE

At the end of the second League matches played, defending champions Cowrie Rugby Football Club are still topping to table with 12 points, closely followed by Police Rugby Club with 9 points. Lagos Rugby Football Club is in 3^rd position with 7 points, while Ilorin Rugby Football Club climed to the 4^th position with 6 points. Gosar Rugby FC & Young Lions Rugby FC are in 5^th & 6^th position & without points.

RESULTS

·               ILORIN RFC (22)Vs YOUNG LIONS RFC(0)

·               POLICE RFC(12) Vs LAGOS RFC(10)

·               COWRIE RFC (45) Vs GOSAR RFC(7)

·               TABLE

·               TEAMS       P      W     D    L   PF   PA   PD    PTS

·               COWRIE     2       2      -    -    88     21    67      12

·               POLICE      2       2      -    -    20      10   10        9

·               LAGOS       2       1      -    -    37      12   25        7

·               ILORIN       2       1      -    -     36     14    22        6 

·               GOSAR      2       -       -    -     07     53   (-46)      -

·               Y. LIONS    2       -       -    -      0      49   (-49       -  

HIGHEST POINTS SCORER

A total of 100 points was scored in the 2^ND week matches of the ongoing 2012 Lagos Rugby Union League program played over the weekend, being 8 more points from the 1^st week encounter.

HIGHEST POINT SCORER

Fly-half Azeez Ladipo of Cowrie Rugby Football Club have eclipsed to the top of the scorers chart with 14 points. He is closely followed by 7 other players with 10 points each, two other players have 7 points each. A total of 28 players have scored some points in the first two matches of the ongoing 2012 Lagos Rugby Union League as listed below.

HIGHEST POINTS SCORER TABLE

NAMES -                                   CLUB -             POINTS

1. AZEEZ LADIPO                -  COWRIE  = 14 POINTS

2. COKER MORAKINYO       – LAGOS   =  10 POINTS

3. TUNJI ODUTAN                -  COWRIE =  10 POINTS

4. JOHN OLAWALE              - COWRIE  = 10 POINTS

5. WASIU AYANGBEMI       –  COWRIE  = 10 POINTS

6. JOHN SILVERNUS           – COWRIE  = 10 POINTS

7. SIMON JOSEPH               – COWRIE  = 10 POINTS

8. STEPHEN ADEYEMI        – ILORIN     = 10 POINTS

9. AKPAM                              – LAGOS   =   7 POINTS

10. MUYIDEEN MUBARAQ   - ILORIN    =   7 POINTS

11.CLEMENT DENIS           - COWRIE   = 6 POINTS

12.OLA MUYIWA                    - POLICE   = 5 POINTS

13.JOJO JAFAR                    - COWRIE   = 5 POINTS

14. ADEBOMBO ADEREMI   – COWRIE   = 5 POINTS

15. FRANK ADEDEJI          - COWRIE  = 5 POINTS

16. IFEOLUWA IBITOYE     – ILORIN      = 5 POINTS

17. TUNJI FASIMOYE         - COWRIE   =  5 POINTS

18. AKIN BIODUN               – LAGOS    = 5 POINTS

19. TALEEB ADEYEMI       – LAGOS    = 5 POINTS

20. SULAIMON OYEBOLA - POLICE    = 5 POINTS

21. ADETUNJI DANIEL       - ILORIN     = 5 POINTS

22.HABEEB ISSIAKA          - ILORIN    =  5 POINTS

23.EMMANUEL AYEWE     -  PLOICE   = 5 POINTS

24.JOHN KURA                  -  LAGOS    = 5 POINTS

25.EMEKA AJONYE           - GOSAR    = 5 POINTS

26. LANRE                          - ILORIN      = 4 POINTS

27.IFE IBITAYE                  -  ILORIN      = 2 POINTS

28.PATRICK MBAMARA   - GOSAR     = 2 POINTS

HIGHEST TRY SCORER

Meanwhile Cowrie Rugby FC’s  Odutan Tunji, John Olawale, Wasiu Ayangbemi, John Silvanus, Simon Joseph & Lagos RFC’s Coker Morakinyo alongside Ilorin Rugby FC’s Stephen Adeyemi are topping to highest try scorers chart with two Trys each to their credit.  Meanwhile 15 other players have also scored 1 try each after the second Rugby Union League matches as listed below.

HIGHEST TRY SCORER TABLE

NAMES -                                 CLUB -             TRYS

1. COKER MORAKINYO      – LAGOS    =  2  Trys

2. TUNJI ODUTAN                -  COWRIE  = 2  Trys

3. JOHN OLAWALE              - COWRIE = 2 Trys

4. WASIU AYANGBEMI       –  COWRIE = 2 Trys

5. JOHN SILVERNUS           – COWRIE = 2 Trys

6. SIMON JOSEPH               – COWRIE = 2 Trys

7. STEPHEN ADEYEMI        – ILORIN    = 2 Trys

8. OLA MUYIWA                   - POLICE   = 1Try

9. JOHN SILVERNUS          – COWRIE  = 1Try

10. ADEBOMBO ADEREMI– COWRIE   = 1 Try

11.MUYIDEEN MUBARAQ  - ILORIN      = 1Try

12. FRANK ADEDEJI           - COWRIE   = 1 Try

13. STEPHEN ADEYEMI      – ILORIN    = 1 Try

14. IFEOLUWA IBITOYE     – ILORIN     = 1 Try

15. AKIN BIODUN                – LAGOS   = 1 Try

16. TALEEB ADEYEMI        – LAGOS    = 1 Try

17. AKPAM                          – LAGOS     = 1 Try

18.ADETUNJI DANIEL         - ILORIN     = 1 Try

19.HABEEB ISSIAKA           - ILORIN    =  1 Try

20.EMMANUEL AYEWE      -  PLOICE   = 1 Try

21.JOHN KURA                   -  LAGOS    = 1 Try

22.EMEKA AJONYE            - GOSAR    = 1 Try

My take: Cowrie is on the verge of writing and re-writing history...

The next Lagos Rugby League Matches will be played at the main bowl of the National Stadium, Lagos in a fortnight from 12 noon to 6 pm. Admission is free!!!

Courtesy Ntiensi Williams a.k.a "Mr Rugby"

Longbat, NFF and The Men in Black...

The Chairman of the Plateau State Football Association, Sunday Longbat has urged the Nigeria Football Federation to checkmate the high level of corruption perpetrated through poor match officiating in matches played within the Nigeria Leagues as the future of Nigeria football hangs in the balance suggesting that football matches are supposedly be won by the best team with best performance.

Sunday, speaking with disgust while watching his Plateau United side lose 2:1 away to Kogi United at the Lokoja Confluence Stadium over the weekend questioned the referee's decision to award a penalty to the home with no contact in the area, decried the reason why match officials has allowed money to determine the outcome of matches instead of God, skills and stellar performance.

He added that most of the teams securing promotions into the premier league and representing the country at continental level are not the best after having managed to bribe their way through though has never gone to far in continental competitions.

Sunday on profering solutions, has further called on the NFF to "sit up" in addressing the terrible situation should if continue may force privates and governments owned clubs to withdraw or stop registering to play in the league believing that quality league football and grassroot development can only be felt through unbaised officiating and the NFF sending out secret monitoring teams to cover and report high profile matches.

In later words, speaking in the vioce of an activist, indicated that he will continue to root for change and total overturning in the poor match officiating exercised by corrupt referees due to corruption and makes cry for the ejection of the bad eggs in the Nigeria Football who are on the verge of collapsing the quality and standard of league.

Courtesy Samuel Ahmadu

My Take: I think the referees welfare should be taking into consideration, this will help in reducing the high level of corruption in the game.

STAY OFF RUGBY TROPHY SAYS COWRIE RFC

The much anticipated “Friends of Rugby” organized 2012 Lagos Rugby Union League program kicked off in grand style on Saturday 12 May 2012 at the main bowl of the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos amidst jubilations by rugby players & fans alike.

Cowrie Rugby Football Club who are the defending champions have given a stain warning to all comers in the Lagos Rugby Union League, that “There is no vacancy in the League title!” They made this abundant clear to all on Saturday afternoon when they dismissed an earlier scare from new comers Ilorin Rugby Football Club who opened scoring in their star match of the day, but were eventually roundly defeated by 43 points to 14 points in the last match of the day at 4 pm to secure 6 maximum points to their credit.

They have also threatened all clubs in the league that they will maintain their 100% unbeaten record which they secured in the last League Season!

According to the spokesperson of the Rugby League popularly called “Mr. Rugby” Ntiense Williams, “We are highly delighted with the successful kick-off of the 2012 “Friends of Rugby” Lagos Rugby Union League program, amidst pomp & pageantry at the main bowl of the National Stadium, Lagos on over the weekend. It was a huge celebration by the players who have being yearning for the rugby league to resume.” Said he, “We are indeed very grateful to our main sponsor CMB Building Maintenance & Investment Company Limited and other sponsors who have kept faith with us and have continued to be identified virtually with all our programs of activities for the year!”

Said Williams, “The 2012 Lagos Rugby Union League kicked off weeks ago with Lagos Rugby Football Club defeating Young Lions Rugby Football Club by 27 points to nil, in the opener of the day at 1pm, while the Police Rugby Football Club dismissed Gosar Rugby Football Club by 8 points to nil in the second encounter at the same venue.

Players could not hide their feelings after internal problems prevented the league from resuming early this year. While first timers Ilorin RFC are trying to find their feet, Cowrie Rugby Football Club says they will do all they can to defend the title that gave them the bragging rights for over a year.

Highlights of last weekend games will be up shortly.