Coach Michael Abiodun-Johnson of Nigeria Police Rugby Club yesterday said he was confident the club would rank as number one on the Nigeria Rugby Football Federation League, reports the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

The club is currently ranked number three on the table, but Abiodun-Johnson says “we hope to move up the ladder soon through hard work.’’

The coach, however, called for more support for the sport.

“Rugby is developing in Nigeria but we need people to acknowledge the sport like they do to football, he said, adding that many western countries have embraced rugby alongside football.

“If you talk about the sports that rally fans in Europe, these are football and rugby. We need the support of philanthropists to ensure the sport develops here,” he said.

Abiodun-Johnson noted that the sport should be promoted at the grassroots — primary, secondary and tertiary institutions, but “we cannot successfully carry out the task of developing the sport at the grassroots if we do not have funds.

“We are ranked 73 in the world, which is not supposed to be. If you go to countries like Britain, you will find up to four Nigerians in their national teams,” he said.