Football Campaign Linked to Grey Crowned Crane Recovery at Rugezi Marsh
The fourth edition of the Umusambi Football Tournament concluded on July 31, 2026, in Butaro Sector, Burera District, with conservationists saying community-led awareness efforts are contributing to the recovery of the endangered Grey Crowned Crane around Rugezi Marsh.
Organized annually by the Rwanda Wildlife Conservation Association (RWCA), the month-long tournament brought together teams from eight sectors surrounding Rugezi Marsh in Burera and Gicumbi districts. The initiative uses sport as a platform to encourage communities living near the wetland to protect one of Rwanda’s most important ecosystems.
Miyove Sector dominated this year’s competition, winning both the men’s and women’s titles after defeating Butaro Sector in both finals. The women’s champions received RWF 500,000, while the runners-up earned RWF 300,000. The same prizes were awarded in the men’s category.
Dr. Deo Ruhagazi, Deputy CEO of RWCA, said football has become one of the organization’s most effective tools for delivering conservation messages.
“RWCA has organized this tournament for many years involving the eight sectors surrounding Rugezi Marsh. Football is not our only awareness activity; we also organize a cycling race around the marsh. Our goal is to encourage residents to understand that protecting Rugezi Marsh is everyone’s responsibility,” he said.
“People love football, and we have found that delivering conservation messages through sport produces positive results,” he added.
According to Ruhagazi, those results are increasingly visible in the recovery of the Grey Crowned Crane, one of Rwanda’s most iconic and endangered bird species.
“Rugezi Marsh is home to about a quarter of all the Grey Crowned Cranes found in Rwanda. When we began our conservation work, we recorded only 71 cranes in Rugezi. Today, that number has increased to 351,” he said.
He attributed the increase to growing community participation in conservation, saying residents have largely stopped taking crane chicks from the wild and attitudes toward the birds have improved significantly.
“We used to find many cranes with injuries or disabilities, but those cases have become rare. These changes demonstrate the impact of sustained awareness efforts, including those delivered through football,” he added.
Ruhagazi said protecting the Grey Crowned Crane also benefits hundreds of other species that depend on the wetland.
He said, “The Grey Crowned Crane is what we call an umbrella species. By protecting it, we are also protecting the entire ecosystem and the many other species that live in Rugezi Marsh.”
He added that Rugezi Marsh is not only internationally recognized as a protected wetland but also plays a vital role in Rwanda’s water resources.
“The marsh collects water flowing from the surrounding hills in Burera and Gicumbi districts before supplying Lake Burera and later Lake Ruhondo. When Rugezi Marsh is healthy, both lakes remain healthy as well,” he added.
Virginie Mugororeyimana, Director of Advocacy and Multilateral Environmental Agreements at the Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA), commended RWCA for combining sport with environmental education.
“This tournament provides an opportunity to remind communities that protecting Rugezi Marsh is a responsibility shared by all Rwandans, not only those living in Burera and Gicumbi. We appreciate RWCA for continuing to organize these competitions while promoting conservation.”
She urged residents to remain vigilant during the dry season by preventing wildfires, one of the greatest threats facing the peatland wetland.
“We ask communities to avoid starting fires because vegetation is dry at this time of year. We must also avoid grazing livestock and cultivating inside the wetland so that Rugezi Marsh continues to provide the environmental services on which we all depend,” she said.
Mugororeyimana said sport offers an effective way to reach young people with conservation messages.
“Sport brings young people together, making it easier to educate them about environmental protection. They, in turn, share these messages with their families and communities. Every year, we continue to see the positive impact of combining sport with conservation awareness,” she added.
Burera District Vice Mayor in charge of Social Affairs, Theophile Mwanangu, said conserving the wetland extends beyond biodiversity protection.
He said, “Rugezi Marsh provides clean air and sustains Lake Burera, whose waters generate electricity at the Ntaruka Hydropower Plant. Water from Lake Burera also flows into Lake Ruhondo, which powers the Mukungwa Hydropower Plant. Protecting the marsh therefore contributes directly to Rwanda’s economy and national development.”
He added that the Grey Crowned Crane has also become an important attraction for visitors.
“The Grey Crowned Crane is one of the rare bird species in the world, and Rwanda is fortunate to still have it. Many tourists visiting Burera are excited to see the bird, and tourism generates foreign exchange that contributes to the district’s development and the country’s economy,” Mwanangu said.
The fourth edition builds on previous tournaments that RWCA says have helped reduce illegal grass cutting, poaching and wetland fires around Rugezi Marsh.
The recent biodiversity survey conducted by RWCA identified 741 species in the marsh, including 472 species that had never previously been recorded there. The survey documented 197 plant species, 134 bird species and 53 mammal species, including 22 bat species, underscoring the ecological importance of one of Rwanda’s most significant wetlands.
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