IMPALA READY FOR 10’s DEFENCE
Great Rift 10’s champions Impala are leaving nothing to chance as they prepare for the tournament on Saturday and Sunday at Nakuru Athletic Club.
Coach Charles Ngovi said they aim to win all their opening matches on Saturday. “It will not be easy but we have a good squad,” the coach said. Some of the big names on the Impala side are Brian Nyikuli, Paul Sadat, Naftally Bondo, Nato Simiyu and Moses Mwole.
Ngovi is wary of last year’s Kenya Rugby Football Union National Sevens champions Mwamba. “They have a good side,” he acknowledged. Mwamba will be without inspirational captain Humphrey Kayange but most of their key players – George Mbaye, Horace Otieno, Lavin Asego, Collins Injera and Paul Oketch – are available.
Hosts Nakuru are at their peak after winning their opening three Kenya Cup league matches against Strathmore University, Kenya Harlequin and Nondescripts. Nakuru could be the stage for Gibson Weru to return to top-flight competition after a shoulder surgery. But even in his absence, there are several youthful players who have emerged.
Two key players are Cyprian Shimenga and Vincent Mose who have been called to the national 15’s side, which is preparing for the Elgon Cup. Mose is the leading points scorers after three weekends of Kenya Cup rugby. Other players are Simon Wariuki, Lawrence Buyachi, Ben Kamau, Sammy Warui and Che Ikongo.
Organisers believe this will be the best tournament in recent memory because all the players are available before being called up for national duty. Makerere University Impis will be the only foreign team. Club secretary Abubakar Mayanja said they have a formidable side capable of reaching the final and winning the trophy. MORE....
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SOLID START FOR UNDER 14 LEAGUE
The under-14 years league got off to a flying start at Impala Club. Such was the popularity of this league, which is being co-ordinated by KRFU’s Eric Situma that Impala fielded two teams – Turbulence and Cheetahs. Most of the players were regulars at the Sunday sessions at the Rugby Football Union of East Africa ground but spilled over to Impala. Situma acknowledged this was a major coup for the KRFU. “The children have so much potential and their level of understanding of the game is quite high,” he offered. The league moves to Kenya Commercial Bank Sports Club at the weekend where the ‘Baby’ KCB players tackle Safari Michezo in a curtain raiser for the Kenya Cup league match between KCB and Mombasa Sports Club.
Results | Impala Turbulence 7 Safari Michezo 7, Impala Cheetahs 21 Impala Turbulence 14, Safari Michezo 0 Impala Cheetahs 35.
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KAKAMEGA ARE NATIONAL CHAMPS
Kakamega High conceded only five points on their way to beating Musingu 19-5 to win the Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association seven-a-side rugby competition.
St. Mary’s finished third after overcoming Nakuru High 19-7 in the play-off.
In the final, Kakamega High led 12-0 at half time. Branton Shikami scored the first try, which Felix Ayange converted. Shikami went over for the second try for a 12-0 lead at half time.
Musingu were quick off the starting blocks in the second half and were rewarded when Byron Sifuna crossed the line. But Ayange went over for Kakamega and Fabian Olando converted. more.... | NATIONAL TEAM PHOTOS
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IMPALA SURGE TO TOP OF KENYA CUP LEAGUE
April 22, 2008
Impala surged to the top of Kenya Cup league as defending champions KCB made an emphatic start with a 67-7 win over debutants Strathmore University.
The Red Shirts have collected nine points from two matches, one ahead of Nakuru RFC who upset Kenya Harlequin FC 29-25.
In the Eric Shirley Shield, Nondies II have had an impressive start. They have a maximum 10 points from two matches. Nondescripts II have been fielding some of the players who have done duty for the first team. Two KRFU Directors Shaka Kwach and Branko Ng’inja are playing for the ESS side.
The next four teams are on four points each separated by points difference. MORE....
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KENYA GUNNING FOR EIGHT POINTS IN UK
Virgin Atlantic Kenya Sevens team will be gunning for at least eight points in the remaining two tournaments of the International Rugby Board Sevens World Series in England and Scotland.
Kenya has been placed in a ‘physical’ Pool D is the London Sevens to be played at Twickenham on May 24 and 25. The pool has Samoa, Scotland and Russia.
The team resumed light training on Saturday at Brookhouse School. Coach Benjamin Ayimba and his technical bench of Felix Ochieng and Oscar Osir took stock of what they have available for the remaining two tournaments. MORE |
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IRB SEVENS WORLD SERIES LONDON | Twickenham on May 24 and 25. |
POOL A |
POOL B |
POOL C |
POOL D |
New Zealand |
South Africa |
Fiji |
Samoa |
Wales |
England |
Australia |
Kenya |
Argentina |
France |
Canada |
Russia |
Moldova |
Spain |
Portugal |
Scotland |
New Zealand v Argentina, Wales v Moldova, Fiji v Canada, Australia v Portugal, Samoa v Russia, Kenya v Scotland, South Africa v Scotland, England v Spain, New Zealand v Moldova, Wales v Argentina, Fiji v Portugal, Australia v Canada, Samoa v Scotland, Kenya v Russia, South Africa v Spain, England v France, Argentina v Moldova, Canada v Portugal, Russia v Scotland, France v Spain, New Zealand v Wales, Fiji v Australia, Samoa v Kenya, South Africa v England. |
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IMPALA AND NAKURU REMAIN UNBEATEN IN LEAGUE
Impala and Nakuru RFC extended their unbeaten runs to three matches at the weekend after beating Nondescripts 50-3 and Strathmore University 46-5.
Defending champions Kenya Commercial Bank were barely tested in their second match against Mombasa Sports Club. They won 43-3 at KCB Sports Club, Ruaraka while Mwamba scored a dramatic 35-33 win over Kenya Harlequin FC at the Rugby Football Union of East Africa ground.
Strathmore University 5 Nakuru 46
Nakuru extended their unbeaten run to three matches by overcoming debutants Strathmore University at Nairobi School. They scored eight tries, three of which were converted by fullback and captain Vincent Mose who accounted for 16 points.
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Quins 33 Mwamba 35
Super substitute Edgar Abere raced over the try line with only two minutes remaining to set Mwamba fans to a thunderous cheer after they narrowly beat Quins 35-33 at the RFUEA ground. Mwamba were on the receiving end after only 20 seconds when Victor Sudi brushed off feeble tackles to race to the line. He missed the conversion. Former Quin’s centre Tito Oduk missed a penalty attempt in the third minute as Mwamba settled after absorbing the initial shock. In the 10th minute, Mwamba fullback Steve Okeyo leveled for Mwamba following a darting run by Lavin Asego. Oduk stroked over the conversion for the lead to change hands 7-5 in Mwamba’s favour. It was a lead they were to surrender in the last quarter of play, before Abere’s winning try. Early in the first half, Quins new revelation Chris Oduor was yellow carded by the referee Godwin Karuga which enabled Mwamba to use the numerical advantage to score. . more...
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WOMENS TEAM INTENSIFY TRAINING
The national women’s rugby team have intensified their training at the Nairobi Railway Club. On Monday, the players benefited from technical input by Benjamin Ayimba, the national seven-a-side coach who took the players through the same drills which he uses for the award-winning Sevens team which is currently fifth in the International Rugby Board Sevens World Series. He was impressed by the enthusiasm of the players some of which he handled in 2004 during the Africa Rugby Confederation Sevens tournament in Kampala, Uganda. The team is training for the Africa Zone of the Rugby World Cup Sevens qualifiers to be hosted by Uganda in June. But, the immediate assignment is a curtain raiser or the annual Elgon Cup match between Kenya and Uganda on May 24.
Kenya has also been invited for a tournament in South Africa. Ayimba is confident that with the right approach, Kenya will secure one of the two slots for the Rugby World Cup Sevens to be hosted by the United Arab Emirates in Dubai in March next year. Sammy Kemmey is currently handling the women’s national team who train thrice a week on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at the Nairobi Railway Club. An influx of players from Vivi Girls has seen the number of players training at 25. Some of the players surviving from the 2004 squad are Angela Olum, Celestine Navalayi, Anita Omondi, Doreen Remour, Yvonne Makwali, Nereah Awino, Camilyn Awuor, Irene Awuor and Mary Musieka. Awino, Omondi and Musieka resumed training after injuries.
Two players – Irene Nyakundi and Linda Onyango – are due for a knee surgery and may miss the qualifiers. Other players who are consistently training are Philadelphia Olando, Dorcas Ndanu, Robina Wambui, Millicent Opalla, Irene Namayi and Stacey Awuor. ‘On average we have 25 players at every session. The challenge is to play more matches and get very fit,” Kemmey said Ayimba will be available whenever needed to assist in coaching the team. more...
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OTHER NEWS -
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TANGIER SEVENS BECKONS
Kenya intends to send a much stronger team to year’s Tangier seven-a-side tournament next month. National coach Benjamin Ayimba said he will use the tournament in Tunisia to work on a combination of players he intends to select for the last two legs of the International Rugby Board Sevens World Series in London and Scotland. “With the injuries in the team, we have to change our technical approach and it is important for the players to get more game situation preparations,” the coach explained. Some of the players he is thinking of giving more game time in Tunisia are Philip Moturi, Leon Adongo, Allan Makaka, Wilson K’Opondo, Paul Oketch, George Mbaye, Cyprian Shimenga, Mathew Musita, Samuel Wefwafwa, Paul Murunga, Horace Otieno, Joshua Gathumbi and Horace Otieno. “We have a squad of 24 players and all are ready for national duty,” the coach added. This was in answer to how he will pick teams for the Mosi, Safari Sevens and Tangier Sevens. “Our main challenge is to qualify for the next Rugby World Cup Sevens,” he maintained.
Kenya has in the meantime been invited for a training camp by the South Africa Sevens team. Kenya received a similar invitation before the last two legs of the IRB Sevens World Series tournaments in Hong Kong and Adelaide but were unable to travel because the notice was too short and Ayimba and his technical bench were unable to assemble a strong side. The invitation was made by the South Africa coach Paul Treu who honed his skills at the Safari Sevens. ‘It is a good gesture from the current runners-up in the IRB Sevens World Series and would give us an extra edge in the UK,” Ayimba acknowledged. If honoured, the players are expected in South Africa on May 7, almost at the same time as another team will be in Tunisia for the Tangier Sevens. more..
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