Kigali, Rwanda. April 21st, 2026. – The CAVB Men’s Club Championship Rwanda 2026 has officially been launched in Kigali on Tuesday.
A total of 24 teams have confirmed their participation in the competition, ensuring all eyes are on Rwanda for the next 10 days of the competition.
In a media briefing held Tuesday afternoon at BK Arena, Raphael Ngarambe, the Rwanda Volleyball Federation President, welcomed the rest of Africa to Rwanda to experience high-level matches, professional organization, and a celebration of sportsmanship throughout the competition.
Ngarambe remarked: “As a federation we have worked closely with our partners, including CAVB and the government of Rwanda to ensure that this championship meets the highest standard on and off the court. We are committed to delivering a world-class experience for the players, officials, fans, and the media. To all the participants, we extend our warm welcome to Rwanda.”
CAVB Vice President Louis Rwakiranya, expressed gratitude to the government of Rwanda for ensuring a competition of this magnitude came to Sub-Saharan Africa.
Rwanyakira said: “It is a big emotion to see now volleyball is hosted in Rwanda, a country of unity, a country of vision, a country of leadership. We are here to follow our strategy plan to show how high-level volleyball is played in African countries. Before, it was mainly in the North but now it is coming down in our countries.”
Sanga Kone, the Chairman of the Control Committee, revealed that 24 clubs from 15 countries will compete in the championship.
Four groups, consisting of six teams each, will be drawn on Tuesday night during the Technical meeting to be held at the BK Arena.
Sanga Issouf Kone, Chairman, Control Committee, thanked the people and authorities of Rwanda for the warm welcome given to the teams upon arrival in Kigali.
Gilbert Muvunyi, the Director General of Development in the Ministry of Sports, emphasised the importance of a tournament like this to the people of Rwanda. We are proud to host this championship, revealing that it is a great opportunity to inspire the youth who will be watching and following the event.
Muvunyi said: “Volleyball remains a very promising sport for our country, particularly from the grassroots level. We continue to see the strong potential among our young athletes, and as a ministry, we remain fully committed to their development. This event is also an opportunity to inspire our youth, who will be watching and aspiring to be part of this journey in the future. We see this as a very important step in the growth of volleyball in Uganda, and we look forward to a great and successful championship.”
The 47th edition of the championship will kick off on Wednesday at the BK Arena and Petit Stade.
Number of teams: 24
Number of countries: 14
Countries: Cote d’Ivoire, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, Rwanda, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Ghana, Nigeria, Burundi
