Injera off to Cape Town for trials with WP

Mwamba RFC winger and 2008/09 IRB Sevens World Series top try scorer Collins Injera is due to leave on Thursday for Cape Town for trials with Western Province.

At the beginning of the season, Injera targeted finishing among the top three try scorers but ended up winning the diadem. He is at it again, making a bold step of realising a player’s dream of turning out for the Super 14, the Southern Hemisphere’s elite club competition, which has teams from South Africa (5), Australia (4) and New Zealand (5).

According to Auka Gecheo, the Kenya Rugby Football Union general manager, Injera will be at Western Province for three weeks. He will however return on June 19 to join the national seven-a-side team Shujaa for the 14th Safari Sevens Series before flying back to Cape town on June 23.

If successful, Injera will join WP for the 2009 Season and play in the Currie Cup, South Africa’s 14-team league. WP, who play at the 50,900-seater Newlands Stadium in Cape Town, have won Currie Cup 32 times.

For three weeks

WP officials would like to have Injera in Cape Town for up to three weeks, until the end of June. Rob Wagner, WP Rugby (Pty) Ltd managing director, and senior professional coach Rassie Erasmus are both keen to have Injera at WP.

During the three weeks – which have been described as a settling in period – Injera would see the WP setup, know the players and management and decide whether he would like to stay. Also, WP officials and players will get to know the Kenyan winger.

“This is not a formal trial period but a settling in period during which both parties can decide if they are able to sign a more long-term deal that would stretch from July 1 to October 31,” the letter to the KRFU read in part.