TUNIS – Tunisia has come under the spotlight again for ill-treatment of visiting rugby teams after two nations that have arrived for the Africa Women’s Sevens complained of being left stranded at the airport for more than seven hours.
In 2018, Rugby Africa and the Tunisia Rugby Union were forced to apologise to Zimbabwe’s rugby team after they slept on a Tunisian street to protest against their hotel accommodation.
The Zimbabweans had arrived in the Tunisian capital for a 2019 World Cup qualifier.
On Wednesday, Ghana and Uganda’s women Sevens teams said they have been subjected to similar treatment after they landed at Tunis Carthage International Airport.
A note from one of Ghana’s traveling officials, seen by Sportscast, revealed desperation and anxiety on the part of the West Africans. They are also now demanding an apology.
“We are stranded here at the Tuis airport,” wrote the official.
“We arrived around 3pm local time and till now (22:00) we are still here at the airport. The girls are hungry and tired. Tunisian immigration collected our passports with assurance of stamping it with visas and since that time till now, we are still here. The saddest part of the whole thing is that the hotel we are supposed (to) lodge is in the next town, which is two hours away. #AfricaRugby, this is highly unacceptable and we demand an apology from the hosts.”
Pictures sent to this publication shows the Ghanaian female rugby players huddled together on the floor at the airport, alongside their Zimbabwean coaches Lovemore Kuzorera and Jeffrey Chiwanda.
The Uganda team’s camp has also reported of being kept at the airport for long hours and logistics being mixed up.
