However, it was mainly played by the white population, who made little attempt to spread it to the native Gambians, meaning that the game declined when they left.
In 1987 Warrant Officer Sergeant Major Hulme of the British Army Training Team (BATT) introduced the Gambian National Army (GNA) to the game, and the then vice President of the Gambia was invited to become president of the National Rugby Team, games were played at the Medical Research Council (MRC) in Fajara.
Rugby is centred on the national capitals, and main cities, Banjul and Serrekunda, both of which are on the south coast.
The Gambia is a slender country, and its poverty and lack of infrastructure make it difficult to maintain a proper national league structure.
However, the Gambia has long been a popular tourist destination with Europeans, so it is possible that this may influence the development of the game in future.