coaches of Adedar
"A coach will impact more people in one year than the average person in a lifetime." - Billy Graham
Nelio started rugby in 2016 when he heard some friends talking about it. He started to play and really started to like it. Mandy asked him to enter a school and start a team of his own. He started with his own team of under 14, and loved working with the girls he got on the field to play. Until now, he is looking and pushing for more girls to play because he sees the importance of gender equality and how rugby can help Mozambique fight for this.
He coaches now the under 16 and under 18, masculine and feminine, teams of Hulene Rugby Club. He is the head coach of all of Hulene Rugby Club, overseeing coaches for all levels. He has also taken on the responsibility of overseeing all coaches of ADEDAR and has played an integral part in the growth of ADEDAR.
Nelio Salvador Ouana
Alberto Antonio Sitoe
Alberto was born on 28th of September in 1998 in Maputo, Mozambique. He loves to play rugby and loves even more to be a part of ADEDAR. It is where he feels more desire to be and more alive. According to Alberto, ADEDAR is more where we learn more and become a family. He started to play rugby in February of 2018. His friend Wasket invited him to play and now is his teammate on ADEDAR. He is still learning so much about rugby.
He coaches rugby in Hulene Rugby Club and Laulane Rugby Club for under 10, under 12, and under 14 teams (masculine and feminine together), and has really taken on the spirit of rugby and the spirit of ADEDAR.
Crelia started playing rugby with ADEDAR from the beginning of rugby in Mozambique, in 2015. She decided after Mandy introduced rugby at her school, Lhanguene Secondary School, she wanted to give it a try. She was scared of the ball, she was timid at tackling, she didn't know what she was doing. Today, complete opposite. She is the most confident (but not arrogant) player we have, a leader, role model, example for the young girls (and boys) and for her peers. She is studying to be a PE teacher at the local university which wouldn't have happened without rugby and her tenacity to play and coach.
She coaches the Mathemele Rugby Club, with players as young as 8 up to 15 years old. She represents Mozambique on the women's national team and on the Mozambique Federation board. Her role in rugby is empowering women and girls throughout Mozambique.
Crelia Jornal
Arlindo Zeca Manhiça
Arlindo is 19 years old, plays for Hulene Rugby Club, and is the captain of his team. He joined rugby in 2017 when Mandy gave a demonstration of rugby in his Physical Education class. He started playing on the under 18 team and then moved up to the senior team and started to train to be an assistant coach for Hulene Rugby Club.
He is a player with a lot of talent on and off the field. He likes to play, has fun, and loves his position as wing. His dream is to meet the All Blacks of New Zealand and watch a live game.
Constância Gil Zunguza
Constância is a rugby player and coach for ADEDAR. She started playing rugby in 2017. She started coaching at the start of 2019. She feels a great satisfaction to be able to teach and learn so much about rugby and all that it entails. Working with kids and being a part of such a different sport here in Mozambique makes her feel happy and having fun. Her confidence is building and her feeling that she can. Today she says she can look at the world and say, “I can!” She has learned to look at difficulties, and together with colleagues in solidarity, can achieve what she wants.
She started a team in Chamanculo of under 10, under 12 and under 14, wtih about 25 kids playing for her.
Wasquet Joao
Wasquet joined rugby as he started to realize it is his favorite sport. He saw some rugby on the television and because of this decided he needed to give it a try. He now puts all his effort into training and is putting forth his best. He thanks ADEDAR for all that we have taught him about rugby, and for all this, he is a player and coach of rugby. He is very happy to be a part of our team. According to him (and to us), ADEDAR is his second family.
He coaches rugby for Hulene Rugby Club and Laulane Rugby Club, sharing responsibility with Alberto for the under 10, under 12 and under 14 teams (masculine and feminine). He is definitely one of our coaches that keeps the laughter going and the spirit up!
Mandy Nurrenbern
Mandy started playing rugby in 2004 after spending a semester in New Zealand in her university years. Her flatmate told her she should play when she got back to the states. She saw a woman at Purdue wearing a Women's Rugby jacket, asked her about it, went to one practice, and now she is here. After a Peace Corps service in 2010-2012 in Mozambique, Mandy moved back to Mozambique in 2015 to start up this "crazy" dream of ADEDAR.
She started rugby from the ground up in Maputo, Mozambique, from zero players to over 200+ and continues to be in the background of ADEDAR Rugby Mozambique to help the coaches and leaders of ADEDAR continue what they do best: train, play, recruit, and build confidence in our family of rugby in Mozambique! Current dream: ADEDAR worldwide.
