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BMI Soars as Tourists arrive in Nigeria

Great anticipation surrounded Nigerian Stock for the duration of the LNRFC Ambassadors Tour 2007. It was to be a time of high volatility and for the tourists and the potential for profit was deemed to adequately high which invoked great interest and speculation on various sectors.

The main point of discussion and the source of a lot of speculation on the market was the BMI Index. Ritchie Ross Forrester and Chi-Chi Obuaya financial analysts and aggressive investors in their own rights both speculated that there would be a brief but noticeable increase in the BMI Index but that a swift correction would follow leaving the Indices with very modest gains at the end.

On the other hand Wole Olufunwa and Ernest Hanson usually very aggressive investors in the market, warned against investing in the BMI Index as returns were rather too unpredictable and unreliable for his tastes.

In reality the BMI index saw a very sharp increase showing at least as much as 18% increase within the first 2 days of the tour's arrival. It then went on to through previous resistance level and consolidating it position very well above expected levels.

Unlike most indices the BMI trades through the weekend and some analysts even go as far as to say that this is the peak period of trading when most new highs and lows occur.

True to form the BMI index volumes broke through record levels on sunday night just as markets were opening in the east. Tourists saw gains reach close to 50% above the levels at the beginning of the tour, a feat only possible in Nigeria. The market even saw huge spikes in offered prices of close to 1200% above market. Thankfully these offers were not taken as the ramifications to the market as a whole could have been devastating.

With these new highs, the the market saw new fresh investors anxious to scoop up some of the profits and this drove the market even higher. The new investors were heard to report greater than expected gains. One investor who requested to remain anonymous boasted over 300% increase in his assets due to market movements in the BMI.

With the departure of the tourist levels are reported to returning to normal however we expect that levels will probably never return to original levels after the tour.

Other indices and areas of the market saw modest gains but these will be rounded up in the next instalment of Tour Finance.

Reporting

Osahon Omokhodion

LNRFC Finance

Bo Bo Bo! Bosza!

Bo Bo Bo! Bosza!

The final curtain – cue Frank Sinatra

By Hisham

It’s over. We’ve had a great time, we given something back and we’ve learnt a thing or two about rugby. An excellent tour. Thanks to our sponsors who helped us get here, donate vital equipment, and make waves here in Nigeria (I, for one, been asked to have numerous pictures taken with people and even been asked for an autograph….I can’t wait for my wife to remind me how unimportant I really am).

From Lagos we’ll take away an understanding of chaos. From Ilorin we’ll take away how passion really can be all you need to make something out of nothing. We’ll want to take some of the Ilorin passion and fury onto the pitch at home. We’ve learnt a thing or two about each other (ahhh), and we’ve had a damned good time. In fact, I’d be rather shocked if anyone who’d been on this tour wouldn’t immediately sign up for next year.

Oh, and we’ve also learnt that some of us weren’t shouting our Nigerian chant quite right either…

Bosza!

our thanks to Virgin Nigeria, FBN Bank, Kwara Hotel. The Ambassador Hotel, ExxonMobil, and Kwara State Government.

Mark Ho Sports a traditional Nigerian outfit

Breaking news – Chi Chi steals Naija woman from Island

This picture just sent in by an offended reader. It appears as if Chi Chi commandeered a boat, went to an Island near Lagos and kidnapped a woman whose name is, at this time, unknown. The whereabouts of Chi Chi is also unknown, and whilst the lady in question looks happy enough in the photo - under duress you'd wave too... we are all hoping and praying for her safety. Updates will follow as soon as they’re in.

Carl Christian Memorial Tournament

by Rob Relton

7 July 2007

On a clear but damp Saturday in July (the 7^th to be exact) Lagos Polo Club locked all the horses in the stables, marked up a temporary rugby pitches and hosted a tournament for a different type of thoroughbred.

Three teams congregated to play a full afternoon's rugby, with the winner taking a newly created trophy for this special occasion. London Nigerian Rugby Football Club, coming to the end of a ten day tour of Lagos and Ilorin were the sole overseas side. Also included were a Lagos 'select' team (i.e. the best players from this chaotic but addictive city) and a 'select side from the northern states of Nigeria.

LNRFC played Lagos select first. This was a bruising and intense game. The home side set a fast and furious pace, whilst LNRFC played a tight relentless game. The visiting sides forwards dominated with size and technique coming out victors with a scoreline of 3 – 15.

The second match saw a closely contested battle between the two home sides. The level of running and handling skill, given the wet and 'boggy' conditions was exciting for the crowd and a pleasure to watch. The Northern select side were the eventual winners which set up a mouth watering finale with LNRFC. The game lived up to expectations with hard running, crunching tackles and a pace/intensity which again kept the crowds enthralled. Whilst LNRFC.gained the upper hand in terms of score the home side would not lie down; fighting all the way to the end they scored a try in the final minute of the game. The final score was 5 – 17 to LNRFC

Rugby is a tough sport, but rewarding to play and creates a bond and friendships which transcends the incidental. Everyone has 'won' something on this tour and we hope to make it an annual event!

Quotes from the tour

Compiled by Chima

"5"

The number of times Aliyu mentioned to guys who didn't go clubbing how he had "never seen so many fine babes in one club in my entire life" before promising not to mention it again.

"l'm Buttercup..."

Andy Franco, revealing his suite name at the Ambassadors hotel and (at the same time) his newly appointed Tour nickname since sporting a new (shocking) bleach blond hairstyle

"...Maybe it's me but the Gulder tastes better here than in the UK"

Stranger: "It's because that one was free, that's all"

Chima Ijeoma, trying one (of many) Naija beers on a night out.

Chima: I don't wear sunglasses after sunset

Maynard: I do - It stops a girl looking into the inner reaches of your soul - and helps you avoid eye contact with the 'bushmeat'. I'm sure the Bushmeat Index has gone up at least three points since we got here.

"I've got one thing to say. This court is a JOKE and I'm going to get ALL of you ¥#@!$ back!"

Chu Chu, perfectly demonstrating what not to say during a Tour Court session.

"Teargas"

Femi Obe's tour nickname, after a night out being forced to wear wife-beaters and a tie as tour punishment.

"£100"

Femi Obe's 'Tour Court' bills.

"Chai!!..."

Jim Siu, explaining to inquisitive playas about the morning after the night before.

"Riff raff can you boys sit down so we can leave. 1A"

Text message sent by Nsa Junior Harrison from his newly acquired business class seat, '1A', on route to Lagos.

Mark (looking out of coach window): Sh*t

Chima: What?

Mark: The way that car just cut in - they drive with no remorse here.

Os: That's just the way it is...

Andy: You drive with remorse - you don't get anywhere - simple.

On the journey from Ilorin to Lagos. Simi and Junior are sharing a seat in front of Hisham:

Junior: what the &*#! was that?

Simi: Theres something alive under the seat

Junior: holy &*#!, something's moving under the seat!

Simi: &*#!

Both are looking around frantically.

Hisham kicks can under seat again.

Junior: guys, theres something alive under the seat - &*#!, THERES SOMETHING MOVING UNDER THE SEAT.

Simi: &*#! man.

Junior: Hisham, is that you?

Richtie and Simi are hunting around for the invitational shirts to present to Dynamite RFC after the friendly match.

It appears Ugo had the shirts last. Ritchie and Simi are looking at Ugo accusingly. A moment passes before Ugo erupts.

"You two can &#@! off if you think I'm taking the blame for you two forgetti..."

Ritchie: We're not blaming you...

Classic Ugo (now smiling): my friend, I said 'IF'

"I heard you lost your phone. I'll help you find it...200 Naira"

Will King, being "shrewd".

"I can't help it, it's just vanity..."

Wole Olunfunwa, preparing to have a team photo taken, promptly discards the clean rugby jersey offered him in place of his precious (dirty) 13 jersey, for an even brighter whiter top, while his team-mates shuffle uneasily, stinking in their dirty kit, in the midday sun.

Illorin - Kwara state

By Hisham

We met at 7am prompt to get an early start for the long drive to Ilorin…we left at 4pm. We drove through the night, through villages and mud tracks. Will King sang a medley of songs to keep us entertained, and, some hours later, found ourselves in the Kwara hotel. Our hosts we extremely welcoming and we immediately felt that our stay in Ilorin would be some welcome R&R following the fast pace of Lagos. For the Playas; Rob, our illustrious coach, had other ideas. 3 hours of training followed by full game.

Crucially, this was also the point in the trip where Fred, the IRB coach we had along with us, and Andy Franco were to do some impressive work at grass roots level. Here’s how.

Ilorin has a rugby club. It doesn’t really have any opposition, but it has a club. 1 mens team and, surprisingly, 2 women’s teams (We saw there, as indeed we saw in Lagos later, that women square off against men’s teams quite frequently. Good luck to the rugby World when Nigeria’s women’s team emerges in earnest – they’ll be quite something. We were there to play them and to try and grow the sport by teaching school kids and qualifying coaches. To give you an idea of the passion for the game: we held an event which attracted 300 school children of all ages, we had to turn some away, with all the LNRFC lads spending the day schooling them in rugby.

When we arrived there was one official coach in Ilorin. When we left there were almost 50. The classes were hugely oversubscribed. We also raised funds to donate scrum machines, balls and pads to help them train. It’s very humbling to find such passion for rugby in a comparatively isolated area of Nigeria (I say isolated because viable opposition are very far away and expensive/difficult to reach), and with such little support or equipment.

The passion extended onto the pitch too. LNRFC played the ‘Dynamite’ club and were met with a ferocious, but ill-disciplined opposition. Being relentless, fearless and having absolutely no sense of self-preservation seem to be the foundations of rugby in Ilorin. Dynamite club literally would launch themselves into rucks horizontally, feet off the ground. We won, but it’s very easy to see them being daunting opposition in 2+ years time, maybe sooner.

We donated a cup, and some Virgin Nigeria sponsored shirts (They wore T-Shirts when they played us) and left in the hope that this could be a regular event. With almost 50 new coaches in Ilorin - Kwara state, some fantastic new equipment, and they passion they already have, we all are very keen to come back and see what they have developed in the next year.

10's Tournament 1

By Rob Relton

On Saturday 30 June six teams gathered at the British International school for an invitational 10 a side rugby tournament. Fortunately there was a break in the recent wet weather, so with clear skies, hospitality tents, bouncy castle, sound system (announcements and 'beats') the tournament got under way at 1.00pm.

The standard of rugby was high. The home teams (which included cowries, young lions, Lagos racing, Kwara rugby club) played with a distinctive style blending speed, passion, fearless determination; basically loose and fast.

The final saw Lagos racing and London Nigerian come together. Both sides has progressed through the tournament unbeaten and it looked set to be a compelling clash. A large crowd had gathered throughout the day and the support was certainly rooting for Racing - the home side. The match was tightly contested with Racing scoring once in the first half. The second half started in the same manner and, although LNRFC managed to pull back one score, Racing held a firm grip on the advantage. As the final whistle went the score was 12 – 5 to Racing; the crowd erupted and the celebrations went well into the night.