Rugby Africa last Friday convened its 17th Annual General Meeting (AGM), highest decision-making forum, in Kampala, with delegates from 32 member unions in attendance.

All resolutions were passed by a majority of over 50 percent of Member Unions present and entitled to vote, in accordance with constitutional quorum requirements.

At the heart of the Assembly was the adoption of a “fit for purpose” Constitution that speaks to the modern challenges of federations and aligns Rugby Africa as a responsible corporate citizen in governance, safeguarding and environmental sustainability, while sticking to the core principle of playing the game we love.

Electoral Outcomes

• Treasurer Elected: Kevin Venkiah, President of Mauritius Rugby Union, was elected Treasurer of Rugby Africa.
• Executive Committee Member Elected: Godwin Kayangwe, President of Uganda Rugby Union, was elected as EXCO Member.

Constitutional Amendments Adopted

Delegates approved a comprehensive package of constitutional amendments, including:

• Official Identity Clarified: The organisation’s official name confirmed as “Rugby Africa,” with updated address provisions allowing flexibility for future changes by the General Assembly.
• Clear Definitions Introduced: Removal of outdated terminology and clarification of key terms including “Constitution,” “General Assembly,” “Executive Committee,” and “Members.” The distinction between calendar and working days was formalised. The term “Independent Member” was introduced.
• Regional Structure Revised: Previous “Anglophone” and “Francophone” divisions replaced with “North” and “South” regional groupings, aligning with World Rugby’s structure.

• Meeting Procedures Strengthened:
• Clear quorum requirements and voting rights formalised.
• Standardised timelines for circulation of agendas and minutes.
• Formalised process for secondment.

• Organisational Objectives Expanded: Inclusion of environmental sustainability, safeguarding and player welfare as formal objectives.

• Executive Committee Reform:
• EXCO size defined as 7–11 members (4 Officers, 1–5 Ordinary Members, 2 Independent Members).
• Introduction of two Independent Members appointed for their professional or business expertise to enhance oversight and credibility.
• Percentage-based gender diversity mechanism within EXCO and a gender balance safeguard for World Rugby Council representation.
• Aligned term limits for all EXCO and Independent Members.
• Automatic cessation of office if an EXCO Member no longer holds an elected position within their Member Union.
• New suspension mechanism for breaches of the Code of Conduct.
• EXCO decisions will primarily be reached by consensus. Where a vote is required, the outcome will be recorded as a unified EXCO decision rather than attributing individual votes, reinforcing collective responsibility and internal solidarity.

Outdated clauses relating to funding allocation and judicial processes were streamlined to reflect current operational structures. The reforms mark a significant step toward strengthened governance, transparency and long-term sustainability across Rugby Africa’s 40 Member Unions.