Torneio de Lhonipha

"Respect means you care enough to think about other's feelings before you act."

Torneio de Lhonipha = Respect Tournament

On August 4, 2018, ADEDAR held our Lhonipha Tournament at the beach in Costa do Sol. We had 4 under 12 mixed teams, 4 under 16 male teams, 2 under 18 male teams, 2 senior male teams, and 3 female teams! In total we had 34 females participate, and 123 males. That's over 20% females at the tournament. It may not sound like much, but that is a huge success for ADEDAR and for women's rugby in Mozambique!

When rugby started in Mozambique in 2016, we had tournaments, but we did not have enough females to play female only games. We had to play mixed games. Percentage of females playing in our first year was at about 3%. It's taken some time, but we are getting there. It is so fun watching the growth of these girls over the years!

Last November we had our very first girl only tournament (Torneio de Wasati). It was great! Several of the teams were very new and were still learning the basics of rugby. In less than I year, some of the those girls are still playing, and I see such a difference in how they play on the field. Instead of getting the ball, and running away, they get the ball and they run with CONFIDENCE to the try line. They tackle, well, like a girl. They tackle with skill and with style.

The same can be said for our guys playing. They have all grown so much in the game, and they are what keeps me going. At our respect tournament, our teams included: Hulene, Maxaquene, Costa do Sol, ADPP, T3, MRC, Jardim, Infulene, Mathemele. The winners were as follows:

Under 12: Costa do Sol Under 16: Hulene

Under 18: Hulene Women's: Hulene Seniors: MRC

We are getting bigger, we need more access to fields, we need more funds to include more players. Tournaments don't cost a lot, but they do cost. Donating helps. Your $20 donation can go a long way. (adedarafrica.wix.com.adedar/help)