Quote:First, lets deal with the facts.
One - Kenya is in the 2nd division. We cant hold a candle to the likes of Australia, SA, NZ, England, Fiji etc. We are an exciting side, but 2nd Div.
This is the first time I am hearing of 1st and 2nd divisions in the IRB world series. This is simply incorrect. Get all the facts at
this link where Kenya is currently ranked 6th in the world.
Perhaps more than any other country, Kenya's participation in the world series have culminated to the sport gaining admission into the Olympic games! This is no mean achievement. We need the brains to translate this success to money to be used to develop the game in our rural schools where there is huge untapped potential.
Quote:Two - all 1st division sides have a history of top class rugby gong back at least a century.
Three - all top division sides have proper rugby structures from primary school all the way to Uni.
Kenya is the only non-professional side in the IRB World Series. We need to seriously consider professionalizing the game in Kenya. The players must be motivated to the same levels as their counterparts in other countries.
The KRFU have their own politics and vested individual interests. These are some of the reasons, for instance, why the Safari 7s cannot be hosted at Kasarani or Nyayo Stadiums.
Quote:Four - management. All top countries have good management, not thieves for managers. Dont get me wrong, the current management is doing a great job,
Until we fix these issues, we will stick in the 2nd division, Ayimba being there or not.
Where is government support in rugby? The management of the game has survived all this while because of volunteers who do it for the love of the game. Some club officials pay out of their own pockets to sustain their clubs. The story at the national level is the same. These officials misuse sponsorship money to entertain friends (mostly girlfriends) at the expense of supporters, sponsors and up coming players.
Quote:Regarding Adelaide, the draw was unkind, given as our pool had one 1st div side (Fiji) and two, not one 2nd div sides (Wales,Kenya). After Wales did in Fiji, we had an uphill task. If we had pedigree (comes with time and experience) we might have come through.
We are on the right track, but the biggest drawback today is the lack of structures - we have no team in th 18 yr old bracket to take over at Shujaa in the next 3 years. They should be playing top class opposition now and managing stage fright now, so that by the time they play in IRB Sevens, they are ripe...
What is the common denominator? Cash and lots of it.
I partly agree. A solid youth development needs to be put in place. If you cared to look at all the top sides in Adelaide, the players who participated were not the same as those who played say five years ago. Our Kenya team has remained mostly unchanged. These guys have peaked and are going down hill. Meanwhile the game is improving and becoming more and more competitive and it is very difficult to predict a winner in any tournament from among the top sides. The national office is run by individuals who have refused to hang their boots and give way to fresh ideas.