Brian Tanga: Jack-of-all-trades but master of the scrum-half

The aura at the scenic, breathtaking forest on this morning was welcoming and heart-warming.

The rugby season’s kick-off was beckoning and it’s back to business at the Kakamega Showground after a lull of about 11 months occasioned by the coronavirus pandemic.

Before Covid-19 struck, the venue that once hosted close to 10,000 fans - with 7,000 being turned away in 2019 - was preparing for a similar grand show last year.

The mood at the Kabras Sugar Rugby Club stable is ecstatic with players having stepped up preparations for the new season under their new coach, former Zimbabwe international Nzingaye Nyathi.

The government had just given rugby, that was considered a high risk sport, the nod to resume play but under strict Covid-19 protocols.

Well, any newcomer to the game that is synonymous with burly bodies would dismiss the striking diminutive figure for a passer-by.

But wait until he latches on the oval ball.

His sprightly legs, retrievals at the back of the ruck and his astute kicking stops someone in his track.

His role determines the flow of play… he needs everything for his team to perform. He is simply a playmaker.

“The only major challenge I have always faced has been my size, but I have managed to overcome and navigate around that over the years. It's a big issue playing people who weigh over 100 kilogrammes when I am only 67 kilos,” says Brian Tanga, the Kabras Sugar and Kenya national sevens team scrum-half.

Tanga says he has learnt to live and work at the backline - from fly-half, right wing, fullback to his current scrum-half position.

“Scrum-half is the best position in the rugby pitch…the position is sweet,” says the 25-year-old Tanga, who, interestingly, started off as a hooker when he embraced the game in 2011 while in form three at Ambira High School, Siaya County.

Tanga says it has not been easy since all the responsibilities in the team are on him but he has learnt to keep calm, read the game and control the pressure.

“I am the vital link between forwards and backs. I find myself doing much more,” explains Tanga, who was brought to scrum-half position by the South African Henley Du Plessis when he took charge at Kabras Sugar in 2018.

“Du Plessis told me I needed more responsibilities owing to my agility, elusiveness, good kicking skills and good decision making,” explains Tanga, who started as a fly-half when he played for Kabras Sugar in 2014 at Nationwide League before Australian coach Mike Bishop converted him to a winger in 2016.

 It’s at Ambira where the school’s rugby head coach Damas Ongwe ploughed Tanga from volleyball where he was playing as a libero.

“It happened in 2011 third term when I was in form three. Ogwe thought I was too fast and that my speed could be utilised in what he referred to as a better sport…I found myself playing rugby,” says Tanga, who was so scared in the first place because of his small size.

Ambira would reach the regional level during the secondary school competition in 2012.

"He was very agile and I thought he should try out in rugby. It's amazing how learnt the game pretty fast," said Ogwe.

"He is quite an intelligent player and a great thinker. He can easily change the pattern of the game."

Ogwe explains that despite his small frame, Tanga proved fearless and could take the ball into contact at any time.

"I am glad he took up the game to the highest level of representing Kenya," notes Ogwe.

With his diminutive figure, Tanga thought that he had no place in rugby after he graduated from form four at Ambira High School in 2012.

He involved himself in other things to keep himself busy.

Then the current Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology (MMUST) Rugby Club deputy coach John Asila came looking for him in Busia.

Asila, who was introduced to Tanga by former teammate Derick Ruto, wanted him to attend trials at Kabras Sugar Rugby Club that had just been formed.  

“I found myself as the smallest player at the trials in Kakamega. I was so scared but I had to give it a rry knowing the benefits that might come along,” says Tanga, who successfully went through the process.

"I realised it's not the size of the dog in fight, but the size of the fight in the dog.”

The rest is history.

'One-club man'

He has played for Kabras Sugar since then.

Kabras Sugar would win the 2014 Nationwide League unbeaten to qualify for the 2015 Kenya Cup where they reached the final, losing to KCB Rugby 27-3 after stunning defending champions Nakuru 15-12 in the semi-finals.

Then came the biggest moment in Tanga’s young rugby playing career.

Kabras Sugar would clinch the Kenya Cup beating Impala Saracens 22-5 in the final after having bundled out Kenya Harlequin 19-15 in the semi-finals.

“It was really a nice feeling Kenya Cup making its way to Western, a region that has produced many rugby players."

“Actually, this is when the trophy landed home finally. Mark you, I was the youngest player on the team,” says Tanga, adding that he felt a lot of good things would come their way in the near future.

However, Kabras Sugar would reach the final in three consecutive seasons - 2016/2017, 2017/2018 and 2018/2019 - but lost in both occasions to KCB 36-8, 29-24 and 23-15, respectively.

It’s during the 2018-2019 Kenya Cup final, played outside Nairobi for the first time, and in Kakamega, on May 18, 2019.

Tanga played in the semi-finals where Kabras Sugar beat Mwamba 23-11 on May 11, 2019, but he would fall sick and got to watch the final from the hospital bed.

“Definitely, that was the worst moment in my rugby playing career. I felt that it was the time to bring back the Kenya Cup home but we fell short. I knew we had the capacity but you just can’t explain some situations,” says Tanga, who believes that that moment could have come last season after they beat KCB 19-6 for the first time to top the regular season league.

But Covid-19 happened.

What could have been the problem after Kabras Sugar fell short thrice?

“It’s more of a mental thing but with the experience now I think it’s that time we break that barrier and bring the trophy back home,” says Tanga.

The West Kenya Sugar Company-sponsored team looks forward to doing well in the 2021 Kenya Cup that got underway last weekend.

And they got off to a flier, mauling neighbours Masinde Muliro in their opening fixture, the “Kakamega derby”, 56-0.

Tanga scored the seventh try in the big win in the 51st minute with Ntaben Dukisa missing the conversion.

While Tanga has had a more fulfilling experience with “Shujaa”, the Kenya Sevens’ team, he is yet to get a call up to 15s side, the Kenya “Simbas.”

However, Tanga, who considers himself a small man with a big heart, is certain that he will get a call up this time around to make the team for the 2023 Rugby World Cup Africa qualifiers.

It’s during the 2016 National Sevens Series that Tanga was named the most promising player as the then Kenya Sevens head coach Benjamin Ayimba drafted him to his academy side.

“I really pushed myself hard on the pitch and my efforts paid dividends,” explains Tanga, who would lead Kabras Sugar to their maiden National Sevens Series title in 2017 before he was drafted into the Kenya Sevens team for the 2017/2018 and 2018/2019 seasons.

During the 2017-2018 World Rugby Sevens Series, the team reached the final in Canada and Hong Kong under Innocent Simiyu.

“Kenya Sevens helped improve my skills and I am a better player and courageous, having toured with the team to gain the much needed experience,” noted Tanga, who hopes to make the team for the Tokyo Olympic Games, having just been recalled.

Beside rugby, Tanga, who was born on September 19, 1995, in Busia, is a jack-of-all-trades, running a cosmetic shop and fast food restaurant in Kakamega.

The player also has an eye on the academics as he was sponsored by West Kenya Sugar Company to take up a diploma course in Public Relations and Creative Advertising at the Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology.

He is also in the process of acquiring land for sugarcane growing.  

"I want to thank West Kenya Sugar Company for supporting the players throughout this Covid-19 period when most teams lost their sponsors," says Tanga.

He adds that the talent scholarship the company has for its players is God-send.

"I have a diploma and I am planning to get a degree through the same programme," he adds.

While rugby is still growing in the country, Tanga advises fellow players to work hard and do the extras to emerge unique in delivery.  

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