Shujaa players celebrate with the the trophy after winning the Safari Sevens tournament after beating Shogun Rugby in the final on October 13, 2024 at Kenyatta Stadium in Machakos County.
Kenya national men’s rugby sevens team players have boycotted training demanding a pay raise in new contracts ahead of their return to the 2024-25 World Rugby Sevens Series next month.
With the Series starting with the Dubai leg on November 30 to December 1, coach Kevin Wambua’s side was scheduled to resume training on October 23 after the mandatory 10-day rest after winning the Safari Sevens in Machakos, but players vowed not to do so until they sign new improved contracts.
Nation Sports understands that only six players, who were used regularly in the 2023-2024 season, were the only ones on contract last season when Shujaa fought for promotion, with the other 13 playing without contracts.
Players on contracts had signed two-year deals in 2022 which expired in August this year. They are believed to have earned between Sh60,000 and Sh80,000 per month. Players without contracts took home between Sh20,000 and Sh34,000 per month whenever they were on national duty.
“Players met on October 20 and made the decision not to resume training until they sign improved contracts,” a source told Nation Sport on the phone on condition of anonymity.
The technical bench led by Wambua and his assistant Louis Kisia could not be reached to confirm the standoff between players and KRU. They did not pick up calls or answer texts.
Kenya Rugby Union chairman Sasha Mutai told Nation Sport that they are finalising new improved contracts for Shujaa as well as first-ever contracts for the national seven-a-side women’s team, Lionesses.
“Shujaa will be making a return to the Series next month. The team is back. It's going to be a very competitive Sevens Series. We're just finalising our contracts with the players. New, improved contracts from last season because the sponsorships have improved and increased,” explained Mutai last Thursday.
Shujaa competed in the World Rugby Sevens Series from the inaugural season in 1999 to 2023, before its relegation last year.
Once talks are done, Mutai noted that players will be settled. “These are now like two-year contracts, but also all based on performance. So, the contracts will be quite comfortable and players can concentrate on the game,” he added.
On the number of players to be contracted and how the new contracts will look like, Mutai said, “Those details, I mean, the contract is full right now because we are in the middle of other negotiations. I can't give you those details right now.
But suffice it to say that we have new improved contracts, but performance-based contracts. Everybody will be fighting for their place in this team so it keeps it nice and fresh. And we have new talents that have come through. So we're keeping it very competitive.
“The contracts for men and women will not be the same. They are different because the men are in the HSBC Sevens Series and the women are not. So the women right now, the best they can be for now is in the Challenger Series, assuming we do well in November at the Africa Women’s Sevens in Ghana. And then from then on, because it's all about performance. There are no shortcuts.”
