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Rugby Africa and World Rugby mourned the passing of two hugely influential figures in African rugby in the first half of the year but, as a fitting legacy to the years of dedication and work of Jean-Luc Barthés and Erick Situma, rugby in the region continues to thrive in their absence.A much-loved and highly-valued member of the World Rugby team, Barthés was known as ‘Mr Africa’ because of his passion for the game, while Situma, a former Kenyan international, was a valued regional rugby development officer within the auspices of Rugby Africa until his death in May, aged 41.In memory of its friends taken too early, Rugby Africa quickly got back to work with the establishment of new wide-ranging training ABOVEJean-Luc Barthés was fondly known as ‘Mr Africa’LEFTUganda’s Ramathan Govule in action at the Dubai Sevenscourses, thus enabling unions to autonomously deliver Leading Rugby and Get Into Rugby programmes, while also advancing women’s rugby and the development of the High Performance pathway.Rugby Africa marked its 30th anniversary with a meeting in Marrakech to draw up a five-year strategic plan that was presented to the General Assembly in Botswana in December.On the pitch, Namibia swept all before them once again to reign supreme in the Africa Cup Division 1A and Senegal edged Tunisia in a thrilling Africa Cup 1B title decider in Monastir. However, both nations will compete in an expanded six-team top-tier competition in 2017 which forms part of the region’s qualification process for RWC 2019. Morocco hosted and won Africa Cup 1C.Zimbabwe had the honour of staging the World Rugby U20 Trophy in April. The tournament produced a glut of tries but sadly no wins for the hosts who finished last of the eight teams. Namibia took fourth place. As African U19 champions, Namibia ensured their presence at the U20 Trophy 2017 in Uruguay.In men’s sevens, South Africa won the bronze medal at Rio 2016, Kenya won its first-ever HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series title in Singapore and Uganda were shock winners of the Rugby Africa Sevens Championship in Nairobi, before going on to win their first match on the series in Dubai. Mali were the second division sevens champions.Participation numbers among children surpassed 380,000, 38 per cent of them girls. Youngsters were also taught the importance of respecting match officials, and encouraged to take up the whistle themselves, through the hugely successful ‘I also play referee’ project.Despite a difficult start to the year, the African game has pulled together and is looking forward to the next few years of success.AFRICAN RUGBY UNITES TO EMERGE FROM DIFFICULT TIMESA year when African rugby had loved ones taken but gained in so many other ways.www.rugbyafrique.comtwitter: @RugbyAfrique382,500children participated in Get Into Rugby activities across the region in 201652 WORLD RUGBY YEAR IN REVIEW 2016PARTICIPATE | AROUND THE REGIONS