Rovers FC is proud to announce that 19 of the 25 players selected to represent Seychelles in a prestigious FIFA-funded four-year scholarship programme in France are graduates of the 2012/2013 Elite generation. This week, the players departed for France to begin the next chapter of their football and academic development.

Rovers FC’s U13 Elite Programme has firmly announced itself on the European stage, improving on last year’s 12th-place Madewis Cup finish by claiming 10th among some of the continent’s finest. Competing against powerhouses such as Juventus FC, Paris FC and SC Braga, Rovers stood toe-to-toe with each opponent—most notably pushing eventual finalists Paris FC to an intense 2–1 defeat only in the closing minutes.

We sat down with Rovers FC’s U13 Head Coach, Rupert Pool, to explore the vision and hard work behind our U13 Elite Programme. From its ten-year development pathway and domestic dominance to annual European expeditions and national selection success, Coach Pool shares how each element—from rigorous training and data-driven analysis to international competition—has combined to prepare our players for professional football and elevate Seychelles football as a whole.

Rovers FC proudly announces that the U13 Elite Programme squad will depart for France on June 1 for a three-week expedition to compete in the renowned Madewis Cup (June 5–8), featuring Juventus CF, Paris FC and a Junior Premier League Selection. This follows successful French tours in 2023 and 2024 against AC Milan, Dallas FC, Benfica and Olympique de Marseille, solidifying Rovers’ presence on the international stage.

Following a successful trip to France for the prestigious Madewis League, a contingent of young Rovers FC players, spanning both U11 and U12 age groups, has returned to Seychelles brimming with experience and a renewed determination to excel. This marks the second year Rovers FC has participated in this international tournament, having competed in the U10 category last year.

Rovers FC is thrilled to announce their return to the prestigious Madewis Cup in Istres, France, from May 30th to June 2nd, 2024. This year, Rovers will be fielding teams in both the U11 (born 2013) and U12 (born 2012) age categories, providing an even greater opportunity for their young Seychellois players to compete against top international competition.

The Rovers Under-10 team is set to compete in the Super Final of the Madewis Cup, a prestigious football tournament in France that brings together more than 12,000 amateur players aged 6 to 13. The tournament will be held from the 1st to the 4th of June in Bastia, Corsica, and will see the young Rovers players compete against some of the best young teams in Europe, including Olympique Lyonnais, FC Metz, AC Ajaccio, Benfica, FC Nantes, Olympique de Marseille and S.C Bastia.