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Rugby group seeks NMSA accreditation
Iakopo
Stanley Iakopo is trying to get the rugby association that he is trying to revive earn accreditation and become a member of the Northern Marianas Sports Association.
Iakopo, who went back to Saipan with his family last month, attended last Thursday’s NMSA meeting where he asked what would be the steps needed to be done to get things going.
“I played in a lot of sports here since 1995 like rugby, track and field, football, bodybuilding, and mixed martial arts. I left in 2008 for deployment,” said Iakopo, who is an Air Force Reserve Command recruiter under the 944th Fighter Wing with a rank of master sergeant.
“But now I’m back here and I want to re-organize the rugby association. I want rugby to be sanctioned and be part of CNMI sports again,” added Iakopo, who played in high-level leagues in the East Coast as part of the Air Force team while on active duty.
Sports federations that apply for NMSA membership need to get organized and elect a board that would govern their group and get their association chartered.
NMSA officials, led by president Mike White, said that they would help Iakopo in the process of being chartered and the rugby group become a member.
“I just want to share my knowledge and resources to the community. That’s why I’m asking the help and support of NMSA for this. Guam has already took off and hopefully the CNMI could follow shortly,” he added.
Guam, as of Jan. 4, is ranked 72nd in the world and eighth in Asia since joining Asia Rugby, the region’s governing body, in 1998. Guam has also won the Asia Rugby Championship Division III East title in Jakarta, Indonesia last June.
