Rugby League is relatively new to Ghana, established just 10 years ago.
The Accra Majestics Rugby League Club in Ghana even newer, only 1 year old.
It's almost unbelievable to think that 2022 is it's first season in competition, let alone finishing their inaugural year in 3rd position!
Established in 2021 by Founder & Co-founder Rachel Ankomah and Khalil Njoya respectively, this little club has come in hard and fast, growing at an unexpected rate and garnering support from fans and sponsors around the world.
The Majestics embrace inclusion and collaboration, not just locally, but worldwide
Their executive is open minded and had the foresight to bring Australian Rugby League counterparts to their executive embracing the long history and spiritual home of the game and knowledge that comes from growing up in a country where the game is ingrained and the people involved passionate about it.
First came BJ Prow (aka NRL Barbie) formerly involved in Sports Media, Marketing and P. R, in a marketing and ambassadorship role. Soon she introduced them (via Instagram) to Ghanaian Australian, Isaac Akuoko a former NQ Cowboys and Manly Junior.
Isaac came aboard as Development Officer.
A current player in NSW Australia, and proud of his Ghanaian heritage, Isaac sought to bring about assistance to the growing club with the help of the NSW Rugby League.
Having been selected to play for his country in the 2022 MEA championships in Accra, he met with the NSWRL to discuss his trip and the Majestics club he proudly represents.
It was a very grateful and excited Development Officer who video linked the executive in Ghana and Australia to advise that the NSWRL were jumping on board to help us grow our club and by extension the game in Africa. This is no small gesture of support. The NSWRL is a powerhouse in the rugby league world and home of the mighty NSW Blues.
We were shocked and humbled to know they would extend the hand of friendship and help to a small club in a developing nation. Its no secret that in Ghana times can be tough and money scarce.
But sport provides opportunity and situations that Ghanaians may not otherwise have access to, so any help is always appreciated, but to have it come from one of the highest organisations in the game worldwide, is something else entirely. To say we were awestruck is a gross understatement.
Before leaving to represent the Leopards (Ghana's national team) Isaac headed to NSWRL headquarters to collect the gear being donated. Again utter shock and gratitude ensued when he was presented with 90 jerseys, and a team gear bag! Never did we dare imagine such an extremely generous gift. Any fan of league knows, jerseys don't come cheap.
And so began the "epic jersey journey"
Isaac along with Sean Sabutey and Levi Osei (fellow Ghanaian Australians) were representing Ghana in the MEAs and 90 jerseys had to be split across their luggage to make the trip from Sydney NSW some 15,697klm to Accra (via Singapore) where the majority found their home within the ecstatic and grateful Majestics club. That's a hell of a journey for shirts. But it didn't end there, our sister club Bastos Majestics, in Cameroun were also grateful recipients of some of the jerseys a further 1,399k and still more to our affiliates in the Ivory Coast, another 652klm
NSWRL jerseys are now being worn with great pride across West Africa. The effects are great and lasting, encouraging conversations around the jerseys, where and who they came from, the story of State of Origin, and most importantly providing desperately needed kit to our teams and encouraging the players to aim high. The boost to the teams confidence and morale knowing a force such as NSWRL sees them, knows about their efforts and extended this hand of support and friendship, is huge, and won't be soon forgotten.
Who knows, one day a Majestic junior from Ghana or Cameroun may just end up in a Blues Jersey and it will have been a dream built on hard work from a seed planted with a Jersey in 2022 by the NSW Rugby League.
Written by B.J Prow
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