Teams regroup after Bamburi opener

Some coaches rubbed their hands with glee while others scratched their heads after the opening day of the 2009 Bamburi Rugby Super Series which kicked off last weekend in Nairobi and Kampala.

Ham Onsando, a former national seven-a-side coach who handles Uganda’s Rwenzori, was in Nairobi to ‘spy’ on SDV Cheetahs and Buffaloes who are in the same pool as his side.

Onsando was categorical about the preparedness of the two Uganda Franchises - Rwenzori and Victoria - who are making their debut.

“They are much fitter because the Uganda league has been going on for nine weeks now,” Onsando explained. The bulk of players from Onsando’s Entebbe Mongers are in the Victoria side beaten 13-0 by Rwenzori on Saturday.

“The concept of regional rugby is a noble idea. Some of my players had to double check with me whether it was true they would get allowances for playing,” Onsando added.

Buffaloes edged out two time champions Cheetahs 14-11 on Saturday in what coach Jotham Owili termed as a good start.

“The players are a bit rusty because of the long lay off,” he admitted. Two players, Ferdinand Ngaira and Cyprian Shimenga, will not be part of the Buffaloes’ set up this season as they are away in the USA. Ngaira is in New Mexico and Shimenga in Washington DC.

Simon Jawichre, the Lion’s coach, was left scratching his head after a narrow 6-11 loss to Nguvu Sharks.

Indifferent approach

He attributed the loss to an indifferent approach by the players. “We shot ourselves in the foot and chose a harder path,” Jawichre said.

Lions will play Rhinos on Saturday in a crucial match which will decide their destiny. A second loss would knock them out of a possible semi-final berth.

Mitch Ocholla’s Nguvu Sharks appear well placed to reach the semi-final. They play Scorpions before locking horns with Rhinos in their last match. The coach said he will give the other fringe players a chance to run around against Scorpions which was hastily assembled to replace Tanzania Twigas.

But Ochieng’ Ahaya, the Scorpions chairman, has promised his side will be much stronger for the next match. This new franchise only trained for two days before the match against Rhinos. Most of its players were drawn from Masinde Muliro University.

Officials from Scorpions want to be given a free hand to include more players instead of the current 18:10 ration they have been given.

Ahaya argues that Mombasa have already been given a chance to compete through the Lions franchise.

Others argue that there were many players who would have merited selection to assemble a much stronger franchise. The move to include a Scorpions team was a aimed at re-starting the West Kenya Franchise.

Rugby fans, who have been starved of action, turned up at the Rugby Football Union of East Africa ground which was re-opened for the series for the first time since being closed early in the year.

Title sponsors, Bamburi Cement, who parted with a cool Sh11 million, and co-sponsors SDV Transami started receiving early returns from the large crowd that turned up on the first day.