Kenya Sevens - Seven Top Moments of the Rugby 7s team

2016 marks a momentous year for the game of rugby and in particular the shorter version in the Sevens. Taking a look at both the 2015/2016 IRB Sevens Series and the Olympic Games in Rio in August, Kenya's team is well-placed to claim its place and maybe rewrite history too...
20 years ago, the Kenya 7s affectionately known as Kenya Shujaa team journey started in earnest as one of the most exciting and hard-working teams in the rugby series. It also marked a start of its major sporting event in Kenya in the Safari Sevens. Through this storied past, we have decided to take a sneak peek of the top 7 moments of the game in the last 20 years since it gained prominence in this part of the world.

[NOTE: This is no scientific list and its given its order more by the chronology of events.]

1. Kenya qualifies for 3rd Edition of Rugby Sevens World Cup (2001) in Argentina

It had taken about 5 years to build a formidable team. The team had played as an invitational team at the Middlesex 7s,  Commonwealth Games in 1998, as as Dubai and Stellenbosch legs of the inaugural IRB Sevens series in 1999. The Safari Sevens also worked to whip up local team support and appetite for the game, as well as expose the team to opposition of similar experience.
At the third edition of the Rugby Sevens World Cup, Kenya announced its entry into the global stage.
From Africa there were its more fancied counterparts in South Africa and Zimbabwe. Though the team didn't score any victories thus finishing last in the Pool (along with Fiji, Argentina, South Korea, Russia and Ireland), they did play in the Bowl beating France 12-5 before losing in the semis to Chile.


2. Kenya beats Australia - Hong Kong Sevens (2002) - IRB Sevens Series 2002/2003

Following good outings in 2001 and 2002 in various invitational tournaments and the Commonwealth Games, Shujaa team was slowly cementing its place in the game. In 2002 at Wellington 7s in New Zealand, Kenya caused a major upset topping Australia 15-12. By the end of the IRB series, Kenya was placed in the ninth position finishing within the top 10 bracket.

Ben Ayimba's a coming for you...Image courtesy of www.kenyapage.net

The performances in this season helped the team's campaign in becoming a core team of the IRB Sevens Series in 2004. The series usually comprises of 15 'core' teams named each season depending on their experience and performance of past seasons.

3. Kenya finishes joint 3rd at 5th Edition of Rugby Sevens World Cup (2009) in Dubai,UAE
Come 2009, the Shujaa team was enjoying a rare era of success despite having a semi-professional team. It had managed to groom some great talent that even one of its players became coach and helped it one of its best seasons ever.
That player was none other than Benjamin Ayimba. Initial skepticism coming from many quarters was quickly vanquished when the team reached 7 out of 9 semi-finals and 1 final of the IRB series. In H. Kayange and C. Injera, the team had two players who came of age and produced try after try.

In the same year, the Rugby Sevens World Cup was held in Dubai, UAE. They played in a tight pool consisting of England, Tunisia and Hong Kong emerging second.  The team scored a major win over Fiji beating them 26-7 in the quarter-finals, before losing out to Argentina in the semi-finals. The team would finish joint 3rd with Samoa.

These accomplishments saw the team's Collins Injera and Humphrey Kayange awarded the Order of the Golden Warrior (OGW) by the Head of State for their role.

4. Kenya beats New Zealand  AND
Kenya reaches Final  of Wellington Sevens (2013) - IRB Sevens Series 2012/2013

2010 and 2011 were tough years for the team and the mixed performances had the Kenya Rugby Union and sponsors influence the hiring of the management team. On the field though, Kenya Shujaa had by now become a crowd favourite and attracting attention across the series tournaments.
Once again, at the Wellington 7s, the team bested a top seed this time ,the hosts New Zealand in a memorable game. The game ended 19-14 to mark Kenya's first roll into a Final.

In the final, Kenya was primed to play England - so much for patriotism on the side of coach Mike Friday who's English native. If the semi-final game was a toughee, the final was a cracker and nerve-wrecking affair, requiring extra-time to be decided. And were it not for captain Andrew Amonde and Oscar Ouma being sin-binned, maybe it would have gone either way...see below;

5. Kenya finishes 5th in IRB Sevens Series for 2012/2013

Sterling performance by Kenya Shujaa finishing in its best ever position , 5th in the IRB Series deserves a mention. Given Mike Friday's hard work with the team (we all remember how massive they all suddenly looked even for winger Collins 'Collo' Injera who had a tough season with the cancellation of his contract).
There were suddenly vested interests in the game some being from the Board and also the interference with the management and contractual issues. This notwithstanding the team put in its best boot forward.

6. Kenya finishes 4th in 6th Edition of Rugby Sevens World Cup (2013) in Russia

The team's performance in the IRB series meant the team was girded with positive energy going into the Luzhniki stadium, Moscow, Russia. The most outstanding had winger Willy Ambaka being voted into the IRB Series for 2012/13 Dream Team. Pool C pitted Kenya against Samoa, African rivals-Zimbabwe and Philippines. The team topped the pool and advanced to the quarters beating France 24-19. Once again Mike Friday's charges were to face a familiar foe, England. It was another closely-contested game ending 12-5 for the English.

Willy Ambaka whizzes past a New Zealand player - image courtesy of AFP

With the team seemingly disappointed to have to play in the third-place play-off, they lost 29-5 to the Fijians. What was worse was the how the management were treated with Friday tendering his resignation as the obnoxious now became putrid. His departure marked the end of a fairy tale season and downward trajectory of the team for the next two seasons.

7. Kenya qualifies for Olympic Games in Rio (2016)

Having endured a rough 2013/2014 and 2014/2015, the Kenyan team had one last chance to redeem itself. The change of technical bench from Paul Treu to former international Felix Totty Ochieng had not brought back the spark to the team's performance. Many even started questioning if the team still deserved to be accorded the 'core team' status. It was a trying time indeed with the 2015 Safari Sevens - which usually serves as a warm-up to the team's IRB series - having the lowest attendance ever in recent times. Tournament sponsor Safaricom had earlier in the year withdrawn its support meaning the 7s circuit was a dour affair leading to the scenario described above in the Safari Sevens.
The 2014/15 season was used to select automatic qualification to the 2016 Olympics. This was given to the top 4 teams at the end of the season. Kenya missed this badly and had to settle for the African Olympic qualifiers.
A few positives though were the return of Richard Omwela to head the Kenya Rugby Union. Choosing to go retro and nostalgic the Board chose Ben Ayimba to steady the ship. The team also had a mix of talent bringing on board tested players as well as grooming the new talent for the 2015/2016 busy season.
In the Final of the qualifiers, Kenya faced arch-rival Zimbabwe. The latter looked like they had secured the place scoring a try in the dying seconds, almost putting the game beyond Kenya's reach. However a moment of inspiration from speedy Dennis Ombachi saved the day and as they say the rest is ....watch below;

Quick Notes:

1. Kenya Rugby Union officials have indicated they have worked on the players contracts and they can rest easy as they play in the Series for 2016.
2. Collins Injera  will be chasing more tries seeking to catch Argentina's Santiago Gomez's tally of 230 tries and England's Ben Gollings 220 tries.Possible? Who knows...

Semper fortis Kenya Shujaa !!!

Bamburi Super Series starts

For you rugby fan, the last many weekends have been quite eventful leading to the final of the Kenya Cup. As if that's not enough, the Rugby Super Series proudly sponsored by Bamburi Cement as title sponsors starts this weekend.
Action shall be in 3 East African cities with the 1st Match pitting the SDV Transami Cheetahs v/s Lions which shall also be screened live on SuperSport Live from 1400hrs local time.
The other games have;
Rhinos v/s Buffaloes - RFUEA Grounds, Nairobi
Twigas v/s Sharks - Friedkin RC, Arusha Tanzania
Rwenzori v/s Victoria - Kampala RUFC, Kampala Uganda

For more interesting insights on these games visit, www.rugbykenya.blogspot.com for the live updates and coverage of the games. Surely hope this helps mould a worthy 15-a-side team to rival the 7-a-side team which is currently riding the populist wave.

Out Goes Virgin Air, In Come Kenya Airways

With rugby slowly trying to upstage athletics as the more lucrative sport in terms of sponsorship, the weekend was another milestone especially for the 7s. Kenya Rugby Football Union (KRFU) penned a deal with Kenya Airways to be their official shirt sponsors to the tune of KSh. 15 million for 2 years.

Logo courtesy of Kenya Airways


Out with the old and in comes the new. After seeing the mileage Virgin Atlantic gained by having the Kenyan boys wear the shirts, it was only natural that once Virgin's deal was over, a major Kenyan firm would take over. The package includes flying the team across the different cities (where possible). Good thing going thus far !
My concern though is the fact that we had to wait and see what Virgin would do (and gain) then we reacted to that. Why does it take foreign companies to realise that we can do more to sport than we currently are? There is just enough to spend on sport that would go a long way in changing the course for most these and the participants.
I also hope the boys keep their feet on the ground and grace us with some outstanding performances this time gunning for the top 4 finish in the IRB circuit (and hopefully a series win or two!).Ayimba kazi kwako !
Let's see more proactive corporates come forward. 2010's bound to be an interesting year for sport !

Rugby : Safaricom spices things a little more in sports

After a shocked earlier this month when EABL withdrew from the rugby circles in a huff, another premiere corporate grabbed onto the opportunity and has made a serious commitment to the Sevens tournament and the sport in general.
First comes the Ksh. 25 million for next year's 7s - KSh. 22 million for the tournament proper and KSh. 3 million for setting up the media center. A concern was whether they would sign the contract for more than 1 year which they did confirming a 3-year deal and the incremental factor after every year.

Another interesting aspect is the involvement of Safaricom Foundation which is the Corporate Social Responsibility (sic) arm of Safaricom Limited. The foundation in consultation with KRFU will seek to upgrade the grounds at the RFUEA to international standards. Now that ought to take serious consideration but if they make true their promise, application to the IRB Sevens Circuit can be made in earnest.
The other interesting thing with KRFU seems to be having local companies raise the stakes in sponsoring local sports which is a big boon to sport. The trickle-down effect to the players and the local league is something that will help enhance and encourage our boys to play their hearts out.
Given rugby 7s entry into the Olympic circles, we can only roll up our sleeves and let some serious work start if we shall challenge for the podium. Let the games begin...!

Surfing Sevens !

(Photo by Daudi Were)
Over the weekend Kenya entertained a host of teams who came forth to play the Safari Sevens which formed the foundation of one of the blossoming sides of the game in the IRB Series. Most of the Kenyans would applaud this which I would to given the height it has taken the game to.

But I believe we are becoming complacent in the event.

Why do we need to keep inviting sides which we know all too well we are going to beat? Why have the Emerging Boks from South Africa instead of engaging the Springboks proper? We can not claim to be competitive when playing lower cadre teams.

Secondly I think most of the corporate sponsorship which came by was misplaced. Everyone wants to the 'official' this or the 'official' that...there was almost Official Air-supply for the Tournament . What these corporates need to do is negotiate with the KRFU and see how they can commit to a certain aspect of the tournament. Say for instance, sponsor air tickets for visiting teams. This way we can see more competition and meaningful sponsorship.

Thirdly, I think it's about time, the organisers looked into expanding the venues to accomodate bigger crowds and also improve the surrounding infrastructure. The chaos that characterises the venue and the roads leading to the venue are despicable. If the KRFU is to hope to host the Safari Sevens as part of the IRB circuit, they must look into this.

This leads me to ask if they are waiting for a miracle or have they beckoned the IRB for inclusion in the circuit. Though we are some way into the top 4 teams of the IRB Sevens series, we can start working towards inclusion. This can be justified with the continued improvement in the teams' performance and the passion of the players. We can't say we have a local professional league yet to develop the talent needed for the same but we are some way into it, that's KRFU's job again. The lads need to become proper professionals and teams can work around developing the game by having 7s teams in their roster.

That much said, we need to look beyond pleasing local fans and having one drunken weekend. As Tall said, the challenge now for the team is maintaining the performances we have seen in the last 2 seasons. It will be harder now since teams will be on the look-out for us.

Over to you, Mr Omwela !

Kenyan Rugby: Same team different roles

As comprehensively covered by my apt-blogger, the expected seismic changes in rugby may not be forthcoming. Without a doubt, Richard O & Co. have enjoyed some good times with the 7s scene really putting them above board on many counts. This is witnessed not just by the success on the grounds and 7s circuit but also on the amount of corporate support they enjoy (Telkom’s KShs.4 million sponsorship of Kenya rugby 7s team to Rugby World Cup)
The qualms come through with less significance of the 15-a-side game where Kenya lags behind our neighbours Uganda. A good initiative is the Bamburi tournament which pits some of the best in Kenyan rugby in select teams. Why can’t we build upon such and make the league more competitive?
The other concern is the lack of countrywide spread of the rugby game. This is seen in the major contributors being Nairobi and its environs and to a smaller extent, Western region. Though we have different tournaments played across the country in the national Sevens circuit, the recruitment and club developments have not been concurrent.
Well, as Mwangi Muthee outlined, Mr. Omwela you have your cloth cut out for now. Ride the wave while you can, we are watching!
Rugby World Cup:
I’ll be rooting for the local boys and expect an upset at the Games but you better watch those top seeds, I’m sure they will take their earlier beatings in the IRB Sevens easy. Come out with your guns, boots and hands blazing! You have our hearts , kazi kwenu ! Follow the RWC here

Rugby Sevens….are we there yet ?

The last month or so has seen Kenyans follow with keen interest our boys rock the IRB Sevens rounds in New Zealand and USA. Along our wake has been massive wins over more established sides which got everyone’s attention, with the local media taking it a notch higher by reporting only what served to whip up our deflated spirits (its been an eventful month for most of us...we thought last year was bad…huh !)
True we ought to be happy for our team’s success but again my skeptic self checks in…are we there yet?
Early this week, I caught the Kenya Rugby Football Union KRFU,chairman Richard Omwela being hosted by the only sports FM station in Kenya- Radio Jambo –and was requesting for support for the forthcoming youth rugby tournament which Kenya will be hosting in May. Laughable to say the least, how you can be convinced a few lawyer friends will land enough funds for such an undertaking is funny. The usual song of let’s get the Government’s support will be the next chorus.
We’re also playing in the World Cup Rugby Sevens tourney in Dubai in March and I can tell you it won’t be easy beating the teams as we had done in the earlier series. I’ll not go to the nitty-gritty here but you can find more comprehensive info here.