Rwanda of 1884 assigned the territory to Germany as part of German East Africa, marking the beginning of the colonial era. The explorer Gustav Adolf von Götzen was the first European to significantly explore the country in 1894; he crossed from the south-east to Lake Kivu and met the king. The Germans did not significantly alter the social structure of the country, but exerted influence by supporting the king and the existing hierarchy and delegating power to local chiefs. Belgian forces took control of Rwanda and Burundi in 1916, during World War I, beginning a period of more direct colonial rule.
Sport in Rwanda one of the fastest growing sports in Rwanda. The sport started to gain popularity in the country as refugees returned from Kenya, where they had learned to play the game. The Rwanda Cricket Association (RCA) was established in 1999 and recognised by the International Cricket Council in 2003. Development of the sport in the country has been supported by the UK-based charity Cricket Without Boundaries, which aims to improve HIV/AIDS awareness through the game, and by the Marylebone Cricket Club Foundation. The latter is backing a project to construct a national cricket field on the outskirts of Kigali. Rwanda's membership