FC Bayern Fan Club Rwanda was officially launched at Sky Lounge Urban City by Blue Hotel in Kigali on February 24, 2024
FC Bayern Munich has gained an organized fan base in Rwanda with thirty members recruited at the inauguration of the first FC Bayern Fan Club in the country.
The historic event, officiated by Germany Embassy to Rwanda Deputy Head of Mission, Peter Primus took place on February 24, was attended by 70 people, mainly from the Rwandan and European communities.
Among the distinguished guest speakers were prominent figures such as Bernhard Hirmer, the Director of Coaching at the FC Bayern Academy Rwanda, Torsten Spittler, the Head Coach of the Rwandan National Football Team (Amavubi) among others.
During the launch event, attendees watched the Bundesliga top match between Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig (which ended with a final score: 2:1- in favour of FC Bayern).
German Counsellor, Peter Primus said that the fan club and sporting activities deepen and build a new pillar in the existing German-Rwandan relations
Primus said that Rwanda is performing very well towards becoming a sports hub, especially in basketball, cycling and more work needs to be done in football which is why German has its expertise in the national team and the Bayern academy in Rwanda.
“This is a symbol of building our bilateral relations between Rwanda and Germany. We want to see stronger ties not only in economics but also in sports,” Primus said.
Bernhard Hirmer (left), the Director of Coaching at the FC Bayern Academy Rwanda speaking to media
Bernhard Hirmer, the Director of Coaching at the FC Bayern Academy Rwanda, who has been an FC Bayern fan since 5 years of age, said that he will support the Rwanda fan club to grow and connect to other fan clubs.
“This is a very good and beautiful country with many lovely people. We have very talented boys at the academy and all we have been missing is the fan club which are like family and a way of sharing experience with other fan clubs,” Hirmer said.
Emmanuel Turatsinze, the founder and coordinator of the FC Bayern Fan Club in Rwanda, expressed his excitement at the successful launch to see the tremendous enthusiasm for the FC Bayern Fan Club in Rwanda and stated that they are recruiting more fans through their Instagram account.
“It already feels like a family, even though we are just joining the fan community. I have been a Bayern fan for many years and it is wonderful to see so many like-minded people coming together so passionately,” Turatsinze said.
Turatsinze stated that Club itself is supporting Rwandan fans and as a local fan club they are poised to become a hub for football lovers to connect but supporting the local communities.
“We will foster a vibrant and social community of Bayern Munich fans across the country and build a new pillar of German-Rwandan relations. As a club, we also plan to engage in activities of giving back to the community,” Turatsinze said.
Isabelle Bucyeyeneza, the Managing Director TestSolutions Rwanda
TestSolutions Rwanda, which co-sponsored the event held an exciting raffle draw which saw many lucky winners walking away with goodies, including FC Bayern Munich t-shirts and badges among others.
Isabelle Bucyeyeneza, the Managing Director TestSolutions Rwanda, said that she is a Manchester United fan but working with the VisitRwanda campaign has compelled her to join the FC Bayern fan club to attract more visitors to Rwanda.
Bucyeyeneza also noted that as a fan, it is her role to promote the local Bayern Academy to have some of the local talents play in the German Bundesliga.
Officials from the Germany embassy in Rwanda, FC Bayern Academy Rwanda, and TestSolutions Rwanda among the fan club members
