By Moorosi Tsiane
MASERU — The Federation of Lesotho Rugby (FLR) will launch the first ever rugby league in the country which will run from 18th January to March 15th.
The four-team league will feature four local rugby teams, Centre for Accounting Studies (CAS) Wolves, National University of Lesotho (NUL) Spears, Maseru Kings and Special Operating Unit (SOU) Black Cobras.
In the opening games, Maseru Kings will entertain CAS Wolves while NUL Spears will lock horns with SOU Cobras in the matches that are set to be played at the National University of Lesotho (NUL) grounds on Saturday.
According to FLR Secretary-General Litšitso Motšeremeli, the league is aimed at improving the level of rugby in the country by popularising it among Basotho.
“We have come up with this idea because we want to make rugby popular and see it growing in the country,” Motšeremeli said.
He said the team that will win the league will join the Maseru Kings in the Eastern Free State Griffons league based in the Free State, South Africa.
Motšeremeli said the four teams had been chosen based on their performance in the sevens tournament that was held at PTC last year.
He further said the league would give the players a platform to showcase their talent and help broaden the scope of choice in the selection of the national team.
“This league is also intended to give Basotho the platform to showcase their talent when it comes to rugby and will help to make sure that the selection of the national team is made from a variety of teams unlike in the past where the selection was made up of players from just one team,” said Motšeremeli.
Motšeremeli said the sport has been receiving immense national support adding that: “Rugby has a future in the sporting codes of this country”.
