Lacklustre rugby season Kenyans would love to forget in a hurry
Namibia's flanker Wian Conradie (left) scores his team's second try during the Rugby Africa Cup rugby union final match against Kenya at the Maurice David Stadium in Aix-en-Provence, southeastern France, on July 10, 2022.
What you need to know:
- Kenya Sevens went into the new season with the 2022/2023 World Rugby Sevens Series appearance in Hong Kong, Dubai and Cape Town without allowances and salaries dating back to three months.
- It could have been the worst start to the season after players went on social media to raise funds for their allowances before the government stepped in.
The 2021-2022 season will perhaps go down as one of Kenya’s worst on the international scene with little to write home about as fans returned to the stadiums for the first time in two years after the Covid-19 hiatus.
The Kenya “Simbas” dream of a maiden appearance at the Rugby World Cup once again went up in smoke after they finished second at the Africa qualifiers and last in the four-nation repechage.
That was despite the team’s spirited build-up on their debut at Currie Cup in South Africa and Nairobi.
Kenya Sevens’ free fall from grace to grass continued unabated when they finished 12th in the World Rugby Sevens Series, third at Africa Cup in Uganda, seventh at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games and 12th at the Rugby World Cup Sevens in Cape Town.
The campaign by their women counterparts, “Lionesses”, at the Africa Cup came a cropper after they finished a disappointing fifth place in Tunisia to miss out on the Women’s Rugby World Cup Sevens.
The “Lionesses” also finished fifth in the World Challenger Series to see them miss out on the 2022-2023 Women’s World Rugby Sevens Series.
However, the women’s 15s team kept alive their dream of reaching the 2024 Women’s Rugby World Cup when they won their Africa Cup Pool “B” clash in Uganda.
That saw them qualify for the 2023 Africa Cup Championships that will be used as Africa qualifiers for the World Cup.
Kenya’s run at Rugby Africa Under-20 Championships (Barthes Trophy) ended when they lost to eventual winners Namibia in the semi-finals in Nairobi.
At club level, Kabras Sugar would break KCB’s four consecutive seasons of dominance to recapture the Kenya Cup rugby league title but thanks to Menengai Oilers, who stopped the bankers in the semi-finals.
Sevens Series champions
Former champion Nondescripts and Impala Rugby Club would be relegated from the Kenya Cup as Mean Machine from the University of Nairobi and Catholic University’s “Monks” earned promotion from Championship to the top flight league.
Menengai Oilers were for the first time crowned the National Sevens Series champions.
Kenya “Simbas” settled for silver at World Cup Africa qualifiers after losing to Namibia 36-0 in the tournament that doubled up for Africa Gold Cup in France in July.
Kenya Simbas had started with a routine 42-7 victory against Uganda in the quarter-final before a close 36-33 win against Algeria 36-33 to set up Namibia in the final.
Scrum half Samuel Asati won the man-of-the-match award in “Simbas” victories against Uganda and Algeria with players like Collins Injera, John Okoth, Thomas Okeyo and Bethwel Anami outstanding.
Kenya’s appearance in the final was enough to secure them a place in the 2023 Rugby World Cup (RWC) final qualifying tournament in November in Dubai that proved disastrous amidst a player training boycott over unpaid allowances.
The “Simbas” ended their campaign without a win after they blew up their 18-7 lead to fall to Hong Kong 22-18 in their last match.
Kenya players had earlier boycotted training ahead of the match but trouble was averted when Hemingways Collection stepped in to donate Sh1.8 million in allowances to the team.
They ended at the bottom of the four-team competition table, having lost to the USA’s “Eagles” 68-14 and Portugal’s “Wolves” 85-0.
Portugal, who had thrashed Hong Kong 42-14, pulled a 16-16 draw against favourites USA to finish at the top on better aggregate and qualify for the 2023 Rugby World Cup finals where they join Pool “C” that has Wales, Australia, Fiji and Georgia.
The “Simbas” prepared for France and Dubai with their first appearance at the Currie Cup First Division, where they finished with three wins against Border Bulldogs 35-12, defending champions North West Leopards 51-35 and Eastern Province Elephants 41-24, with the last two games being played at the RFUEA ground.
Kenya “Simbas” will have to consistently play at the highest level possible with such appearances at the Currie Cup if they harbour a chance of ever participating at the Rugby World Cup.
Simiyu shown the door
It’s perhaps one of those seasons that Kenya Sevens sunk to its lowest ebb when they lost to Madagascar for the first time 12-7 but still qualified to the knockout stage of the Africa Cup Sevens after previously beating Zimbabwe 24-19 and Namibia 33-7.
They would go down to Uganda 22-12 in the semi-final before snatching a slim 19-12 win against Zambia in the play-off to settle for bronze and qualify for the World Cup Sevens.
But that saw head coach Innocent “Namcos” Simiyu shown the door as with Briton Damian McGrath taking charge in May.
The Kenya Sevens job has changed hands 11 times since 2010, that is an average of just over one coach a year.
However, McGrath is yet to find stability in the team six months into his job with lack of salaries and allowances to the players making things worse.
Kenya Sevens ended their 2021/2022 World Rugby Sevens Series in 12th place with 49 points after losing to Argentina 29-7 to finish sixth at Los Angeles, the last leg of the series.
The team finished 12th at the Commonwealth Games and World Cup respectively as McGrath complained about the off-pitch incidents and lack of training facilities ahead of the World Cup held September in Cape Town.
Kenya Sevens went into the new season with the 2022/2023 World Rugby Sevens Series appearance in Hong Kong, Dubai and Cape Town without allowances and salaries dating back to three months.
It could have been the worst start to the season after players went on social media to raise funds for their allowances before the government stepped in.
One would only hope that the team’s fortunes will improve after betting company SportPesa made a comeback with a sponsorship of Sh126 million over three years.
Kenya is currently placed 14th in the series with nine points and faces relegation considering that 12 teams will be retained for the new season.
The 15th ranked team will be relegated at the penultimate leg in Toulouse, France, while the 12th, 13th and 14th placed teams will engage in a Challenger in the final leg in London with the winner staying for the new season.
Kenya’s participation at 2024 Paris Olympics could be in jeopardy if South Africa fails to finish in top four at the end of the Series since the two continental protagonists could meet in the Olympic continental qualifier.
Kenya’s under-20s “Chipu” lost their title when they settled for bronze after beating Madagascar 49-15 in the play-off during the 2022 Rugby Africa Barthes Trophy at Nyayo National Stadium in April. “Chipu,” who had dominated the last two seasons, lost to Namibia 16-5 in the semi-final.
It’s Zimbabwe who had the last say, beating Namibia 19-14 to lift the trophy.
The women’s sevens team finished fifth at the Africa Rugby Sevens in Tunisia, after a shocking loss to Uganda 10-7 and then Tunisia 19-5 in Cup quarter-finals to blow away their chances of qualifying for the Rugby World Cup Sevens.
The “Lionesses” would then miss out on the 2021/2022 Women’s Sevens Series after they finished fourth in the World Challenger series in Chile, with notable wins over China and South Africa.
The 15s women’s side, however, won the Rugby Africa Women’s Cup Pool “B” when they beat Zambia 36-17 before seeing off the hosts Uganda 23-3 to make it to the 2023 Championships that will be used as the qualifier for the 2024 Women’s Rugby World Cup.
Stunned champions
At club level, Kabras Sugar Rugby Club clinched its second Kenya Cup title, beating Menengai Oilers 34-28 in the final on March 12 in Kakamega.
They had topped Kenya Cup regular season with 50 points drawn from 10 wins and one loss to set up Strathmore Leos whom they dismissed 29-9 in the semi-finals in Kakamega to set up Oilers.
The Oilers had stunned defending champions KCB, who had won Kenya Cup four times back-to-back, 24-17 in the semi-final for their first ever Kenya Cup final. Mwamba edged out Impala 15-11 to lift the inaugural Women’s Kenya Cup.
Kabras Sugar would successfully defend their Enterprise Cup title, edging out KCB 9-6 at the RFUEA ground on April 19.
The Oilers lifted the 2022 National Seven Series title with a total of 116 points after they won Prinsloo, finished second at Kakamega Sevens and Dala Sevens and third at Kabeberi Sevens and Christie Sevens respectively.
