1994
CRICKET ARRIVES IN RWANDA
Cricket arrived in Rwanda after the 1994 genocide. In the months and years that followed the atrocities, thousands of Rwandans, having grown up playing cricket in exile in nearby countries such as Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, came home to rebuild their lives in the land of their ancestors.
After 1994, Rwanda, a former Belgian colony, moved from the Francophone sphere of influence to the Anglophone. The official second language changed from French to English and sports like cricket were embraced.
In 1999 a small number of former exiles founded the Rwanda Cricket Association (RCA) and in 2003 Rwanda became an Affiliate Member of the International Cricket Council.
The first cricket ground in Rwanda was created on the site of the infamous massacre portrayed in the award-winning film, Shooting Dogs. Before a ball could be bowled, the two-metre-high grass was cut, revealing the remains of victims.
2008 - 2011
AN IDEA IS SPARKED
Cricket Builds Hope was the brainchild of Christopher Shale, a British businessman and cricket enthusiast who regularly volunteered in Rwanda. During his visits, he witnessed the growth in enthusiasm for cricket in the country and saw the potential, whilst being struck by the lack of facilities.
He decided he wanted to do something to help the Rwandan cricketers he met. He worked towards building the first grass wicket in the country, with a pavilion, to help popularise the game.
Sadly, he died in 2011, aged 56, before he had a chance to realise his vision. His family and friends set up the charity in his memory.
2011 - 2017
BUILDING THE STADIUM
Over 6 years, Cricket Builds Hope (known as the Rwanda Cricket Stadium Foundation, or RCSF, until 2017) raised over £1.25 million to fund the building of the new stadium.
Supporters of the charity raised money through numerous activities including fundraising dinners, charity bike rides, marathons and world record cricket net sessions.
Our project directors:
Ollie Broom was Project Director in Kigali from 2011-2013. Under his direction, RCSF took the first steps in the fundraising campaign and began the search for a suitable site in Kigali. He established initial relationships with the Rwanda Cricket Association, the Rwandan Government and the MCC Foundation. He was also responsible for the formation of the Rwandan NGO that still owns the Stadium and is effectively a joint venture between CBH and the RCA.
Ed Pearson took over from Ollie in 2013. He took on the site in Gahanga on which the stadium was built and negotiated the lease from the Rwandan Government. He oversaw the beginning of the build - engaging the team who designed the Stadium and tendering the contract for construction. Fundraising continued and included a celebrity match at Wormsley as well as a sponsored climb of Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.
Alby Shale, Christopher’s son, became Project Director in 2015, having c0-founded the charity with his brother Edo, amongst others. Alby was responsible for raising the final amounts needed to finish the stadium, which was ready on time and on budget for its official opening in 2017. Alby also initiated CBH’s first sport for change programmes including a gender empowerment programme funded by Comic Relief and the Scottish Government, and a cricket participation programme in rural areas funded by Yorkshire Tea.
2017
THE STADIUM IS OFFICIALLY OPENED
The Stadium was officially opened in October 2017 by H.E. Paul Kagame, President of the Republic of Rwanda.
During the week running up to the opening ceremony, teams from Kenya, Uganda, and the UK took part in a T20 tournament. On the opening weekend the ground hosted a Celebrity T20 match with sides captained by former Ashes-winning England Captain Michael Vaughan and South African batting legend Herschelle Gibbs. England international and CBH patron Sam Billings, and Kenyan cricket legend Steve Tikolo also played in the match.
2017-2026
CRICKET FOR SOCIAL GOOD
Following the opening of the stadium, Cricket Build’s Hope focussed on delivering sport for change programmes. These programmes included the award-winning Women’s Empowerment Programme, an Adolescent Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights Programme and a Schools Reintegration Programme. Thousands of young people were also supported to access cricket and additional benefits like English learning, around Gahanga.
Cricket grew exponentially in the country, with over 30 mens and women’s club sides and 150,000 thousand players across the country. CBH supported the growth of the game into new areas of Rwanda, via the Yorkshire Tea Programme. The women’s game was particularly strrong, and in 2022 the U19 women’s national side completed the amazing achievement of qualifying for Rwanda’s first world cup, held in South Africa, beating the West Indies and Zimbabwe in the tournament.
CBH continued to support and develop the Gahanga Cricket Stadium. In 2023, a second oval was added, allowing for more games alongside grassroots access. Incredibly, the stadium became the leading host of T20 Internationals in 2024, a record it holds to this day*. In 2025, a smart classroom was constructed, providing a space for young people to develop key skills alongside their development as cricketers. In 2026, the running of the stadium was fully handed over to the RCA, making it a truly local and sustainable asset.
*at time of writing, June 2026.
2016-NOW
RETURNING TO OUR ROOTS: INFRASTRUCTURE BEYOND KIGALI
Following the handover of the Gahanga Stadium, the charity decided that the most sustainable and impactful ongoing model would be to focus on the provision of grants to local and partner organisations. These grants will focus mainly on the provision of infrastructure outside of the capital, Kigali, levelling up access and opportunities the thousands of young people who have started playing there, but who are held back by the lack of facilities. We will work in close partnership with the RCA, Cricket Without Boundaries (CWB) and the MCC Foundation, together ensuring that these cricket hubs combine good facilities, great coaching and programmes that support players and local communities to thrive.