The Ghana Rugby Football Union (GRFU) has officially launched the Rugby Rising Play Essay and Creative Drawing Competition 2026, a nationwide educational and creative initiative designed to inspire young people, particularly girls, through the power of sport, storytelling, and artistic expression.
The competition, which is open to pupils and students from Basic Schools, Upper Primary, Junior High Schools (JHS), and Senior High Schools (SHS), forms part of the Rugby Rising Play programme’s broader commitment to youth development, education, gender empowerment, and community engagement across Ghana.
The initiative seeks to provide a platform for young people to share their experiences, perspectives, and aspirations while highlighting the transformative impact of rugby and sports participation in their lives and communities.
Promoting Creativity, Literacy and Youth Empowerment
According to the Ghana Rugby Football Union, the competition aims to encourage creativity and storytelling among young learners while promoting literacy, confidence, leadership, and personal development.
The programme also seeks to inspire greater participation of girls in rugby development activities, amplify youth voices, and document real-life stories demonstrating the positive influence of sport on education, health, and social inclusion.
Organizers believe that empowering students to express themselves through writing and art will strengthen their communication skills, boost self-confidence, and create opportunities for meaningful discussions around youth empowerment and safeguarding in sports.
Essay Competition to Explore Rugby and Social Development
As part of the competition, participants will be invited to submit essays on various topics related to rugby, leadership, education, and community development.
Suggested themes include:
- My Journey with Rugby Rising Play
- The Impact of Rugby Rising Play in My School
- How Rugby Builds Confidence in Girls
- Rugby and Leadership Development
- The Role of Sports in Preventing Teenage Pregnancy
- Why Girls Should Participate in Sports
- Rugby and Teamwork
- How Rugby Has Changed My Life
- Sports as a Tool for Education and Discipline
- The Importance of Safeguarding in Sports
- Rugby and Community Development
The essay competition is expected to provide students with an opportunity to reflect on their personal experiences while demonstrating critical thinking and creative writing skills.
Creative Drawing Competition Encourages Artistic Expression
Alongside the essay contest, students will also participate in a Creative Drawing Competition aimed at showcasing their artistic talents and vision for a brighter future through sport.
Participants are encouraged to create drawings and artwork based on themes such as girls in rugby, leadership through sport, teamwork and friendship, health education, confidence and empowerment, safe sporting environments, rugby in schools, and future dreams inspired by sports.
The artwork is expected to capture the values of inclusion, resilience, equality, and community spirit that underpin the Rugby Rising Play programme.
Open to Schools Across Participating Regions
The competition is open to pupils and students from all participating Rugby Rising Play schools and regions across Ghana.
By engaging learners from different educational levels, the initiative aims to create an inclusive platform where children and young people can share their unique stories and perspectives while celebrating the positive role of rugby in education and personal growth.
Submission Deadline
The Ghana Rugby Football Union has announced that all entries for both the Essay and Creative Drawing competitions must be submitted by 15 June 2026.
Schools, teachers, and programme coordinators are expected to support students throughout the submission process and encourage maximum participation.
Expected Impact
Organizers anticipate that the Rugby Rising Play Essay and Creative Drawing Competition will significantly contribute to youth development and rugby promotion across the country.
Among the expected outcomes are increased youth participation in rugby, enhanced literacy and creativity among students, stronger school-community engagement, and greater visibility for girls’ experiences and achievements in sport.
The competition is also expected to produce a new generation of young ambassadors who understand the value of teamwork, leadership, discipline, safeguarding, and positive youth development.
As Ghana Rugby continues to expand its grassroots programmes, the Rugby Rising Play Essay and Creative Drawing Competition 2026 represents another important step toward harnessing sport as a powerful tool for education, empowerment, and social transformation.
By giving young people a voice through writing and art, the initiative seeks to showcase the life-changing impact of rugby while inspiring future leaders to dream bigger, work harder, and contribute positively to their communities.
Samuel Kwame Boadu is a Ghanaian media entrepreneur and storyteller with a passion for amplifying urban voices and uncovering everyday truths. He is the Editor-in-Chief and Founder of The Accra Daily Mail, a dynamic digital platform dedicated to capturing the pulse of Ghana’s capital—its people, culture, challenges, business, sports and innovations.
