'Homeless' Mwamba zero in on new place

Mwamba Rugby Club will have a new home in three weeks’ time, but without a sponsor.

The club’s president Alvas Onguru disclosed Monday that they are looking at three possible venues in Nairobi County, but hastened that it will take up to three months to develop either facility to a playable pitch.

Onguru, who failed to disclose the location of the venues, hinted that owners of two of the venues have agreed to hand them long term leases, with one proposing up to 30 years, whilewhile the other one will be for renting.

Onguru also disclosed that they have no title sponsor after their two-year deal with Stanbic Bank ended last year.

Mwamba will now be forced to share the University of Nairobi grounds with their sister club, Mean Machine with the new rugby season likely to start late February as they work on their new venue.

Kenya Rugby Union (KRU) had envisaged the tentative 2021 rugby season kicking off on January 16 this year with top flight Kenya Cup matches, but that has been shelved after the government failed to give the greenlight owing to Covid-19 challenges.

Rugby has been categorised as a high risk sport.

Mwamba, which is one of the oldest rugby clubs in the country, lost the Nairobi Railway Club ground that had been their home for 42 years when they were ordered to relocate to pave way for the Express Way and public vehicles terminus in September last year.

“Two of the new venues are rugby pitches while one is an old football ground but we shall be required to fix the pitch to playable conditions regardless for the state,” said Onguru.

“It’s a long debate since besides the pitch that will cost us good money to rehabilitate, we lack sponsors after Stanbic Bank stayed away this time around.”

Stanbic Bank had sponsored Mwamba from 2016 until last year.

“We are talking to well-wishers and our supporters but we don’t know how much it will cost us since we haven’t settled on a venue,” said Onguru, adding that they are likely to have a fundraiser.

With no winners having been declared for the 2019/ 2020 season, the Kenya Cup seeding for 2021 has been done based on how the teams finished during the regular 2019/2020 season.

The regular 2019/2020 season had ended and teams were preparing for the play-offs before Covid-19 pandemic outbreak halted everything in March last year.

Kabras Sugar topped the league followed by defending champions Kenya Commercial Bank claimed the automatic slots in the semi-finals. Homeboyz were to play Menengai Oilers with the winner meeting KCB, while Impala Saracens were up against Mwamba with the winner getting to take on Kabras Sugar.

KRU is yet to come up with new dates, but the draw for Kenya Cup has been done.

Pool “A” will have Kabras Sugar, Impala Saracens, Mwamba, Blak Blad, Kenya Harlequin and a team that will be promoted from KRU Championship. KCB highlight Pool “B” that has Homeboyz, Menengai Oilers, Nakuru, Nondescripts and a team that will have earned promotion from KRU Championship.