“Mauritius has the potential to be among the top five or six in Africa”

The second edition of Ciel & Total Energies Mauritius 7, held over two weekends (29-30 June and 6-7 July) at the Labourdonnais Sports Club, was a total success. Kevin Venkiah, President of the Mauritius Rugby Federation (MRF), looks back on the event with pride and satisfaction.

The second edition of the Mauritius Sevens was of high quality…

It was indeed a success. Both at an organizational and sporting level. You realise that it was fantastic to have South Africa, Kenya, Olympic qualifiers and two countries that are among the top in the world in rugby sevens at a tournament in Mauritius. Other countries also contributed a lot to make the Mauritius Sevens a high-level event. The public from here and elsewhere enjoyed it as the tournament was televised on international channels. However, none of this would have been possible without the commitment of the members of the Federation and our partners. Also the officials, referees, ball boys, security personnel, journalists, the public etc. I thank them from the bottom of my heart. The success of the second Mauritius Sevens has left a mark on all of them.

The challenge is even greater as the tournament is extended over two weekends, a first in the history of the Africa Cup of Nations…

At MRF we have a cohesive and dedicated team. There is also the advantage of having the support of committed partners. That said, this is not the first time that such an event has been organized. Success is also the fruit of questioning. After each event we review and see what worked and what didn’t, to make the necessary adjustments and finally be able to launch the next improved “product”. I will not hide from you that during the first weekend of competition on June 29-30, we encountered some minor shortcomings, for which we together found and provided solutions.

On a sporting level it is not so obvious. Many teams, including ours, found themselves with a reduced squad for the second weekend because there were a lot of injuries. We have to send a report to World Rugby as soon as possible and we will mention that. The health of the players cannot be ignored.

Besides this, by organizing these continental championships regularly and with high quality, MRF is asserting itself as a contributor to the concept of sports tourism…

It has always been our aspiration to contribute to the economic development of the country through sports. In fact, at every continental championship we organise, including the two Mauritius Sevens, quite a number of delegations come with a certain number of supporters. This is good for our tourism industry. I think next year we will be looking at developing a “package” to further encourage the arrival of supporters.

“Next year”… So, does this mean we will have the third edition of the Mauritius Sevens?

In principle, yes. But I will have confirmation soon. I will be travelling to Uganda on Wednesday for the African Rugby Congress, which is scheduled for Saturday the 27th. The third Mauritius Sevens should be confirmed there. I implore the Mauritius Sevens to become an annual event not to be missed on the African rugby calendar.

You often talk about your dream of hosting a World Series here…

I still cherish it, although I believe that at today’s value it would be more playable to host a round of the World Rugby Sevens Challenge Series. The success of the Mauritius Sevens can only work in our favour.

What do you think of the performance of our national select team at the Mauritius Sevens?

We have indeed reached a milestone. I am not the only one who says so. Some observers share this view. Our presence in the hostel during the first weekend is proof of that. Also, it must be stressed that we are a small country with only 1,200 licensees. This number is insignificant compared to the great African countries.

That is why it is important to organise tournaments like the Mauritius Sevens as it allows our locals to compete against the continental rugby powers and this can only benefit our players and our rugby. I firmly believe that we have what it takes to be among the top five or six on the continent.

So is the high-level plan designed by Jean-Baptiste Gobelet when he took office in 2018 bearing fruit?

Without a doubt. This is evident in the collective performances. But also on an individual level. Let’s take the example of Noah Gokhool, a young man from Bel-Ombre who followed our project and today signed a contract with the professional team in Biarritz. It’s our goal too. To release the golden nuggets. And to ensure that rugby becomes a gateway for inclusion. In my opinion, the best is yet to come. More and more young people are interested in rugby, both at home and in Rodrigues. I am sure that with the program we implement, we will have more young people like Noah Gokhool, that is, they will become professional players.

So do you think the future is bright?

Indeed. You know, the progress we are experiencing means that more and more Mauritians from all over the world are contacting us to express their desire to wear the national team jersey. In addition to this, as I told you, our local players are also constantly improving their level through our training and development programs. This development not only concerns boys, we see it in girls as well. I am optimistic about the future.