A journey of a thousand miles begin with a single step.” With these words Prince Kayode Oguntayo, Vice President of the Nigerian Rugby Football Federation (NRFF), laid out the future plans for the Lagos 7s Rugby Festival at a press conference in Lagos yesterday.

Sixteen teams, including the twelve Nigerian teams that played in last weekend’s Northern Sevens tournament will be joined by two additional teams from Nigeria as well as ASFA from Senegal and the Sharks from Ghana. There will also be a demonstration game by two women’s teams and by two youth teams.

Barewa, from Kano, who beat Nigerian Police Rugby club by two points in Kaduna, will be keen to show their victory was no fluke while all the other teams will be trying to knock them off their pedestal. The ever illusive Nigerian Police’s Abdulmaliki Salihu, the player of the tournament at the Northern Sevens, will no doubt be spreading fear among his markers with his blistering speed and ability to side-step off both his left and right feet and will be out to avenge the Police’s close defeat.

The Lagos 7s Festival which is being sponsored by EXP, Nigeria’s leading experiential marketing company, is the first step in a long journey to bring Nigerian rugby up to international standards.

“For too long there has been little support and development of the sport. Facilities are few and far between and players get few opportunities to sharpen their skills in competitive matches,” said Oguntayo. “We are very happy to have EXP as partners as they share our vision of the future of Nigerian rugby and we need more tournaments like the Lagos 7s”

The NRFF’s bold vision includes developing a team that will compete against the best in the world. Sevens rugby becomes an Olympic sport in 2016 and as the sport grows internationally and locally the Lagos 7s Festival will provide players with an exciting platform to showcase their skills.

“There is an enormous pool of talent in Nigeria and West Africa, the captain of France in the IRB World Cup final has his roots in Cote d’Ivoire for instance,” enthused EXP Regional Director Tertius Strauss.  “Nigerians have shone internationally for England in the past and even Cameroon has had Serge Betsen represent France. What we want is for our stars to shine here at home for us, in front of Nigerian fans,” he continued.

The sixteen teams will play a round robin in 4 pools on Saturday at Onikan Stadium beginning at 10 am, and the knock out rounds, youth and women’s demonstration games and finals being played on Sunday at same location and starting at same time.