Conditioning coach key to Kenya 7s success, says Simiyu
What you need to know:
- Kenya Sevens head coach Innocent “Namcos” Simiyu has said the team needs a strength and conditioning coach as a matter of priority.
- Speaking on Monday in Nairobi, Simiyu urged Kenya Rugby Union to find a replacement for Briton Ian Gibbons who has resigned, noting that strength and conditioning coach is vital to his team’s campaign in the remaining legs of the World Rugby Sevens Series.
- He will be targeting an improved performance as he prepares his charges for a tough campaign Pool ‘C’ of Las Vegas Sevens against Sydney bronze medal winners New Zealand, Argentina and Russia.
Kenya Sevens head coach Innocent “Namcos” Simiyu has said the team needs a strength and conditioning coach as a matter of priority.
Speaking on Monday in Nairobi, Simiyu urged Kenya Rugby Union to find a replacement for Briton Ian Gibbons who has resigned, noting that strength and conditioning coach is vital to his team’s campaign in the remaining legs of the World Rugby Sevens Series.
“Strength and Conditioning coach will be paramount going forward while the rest later. Perhaps I will get an assistant for next season,” said Simiyu, who finally got an analyst in South African Will Webster who is based in Kenya, just before Wellington and Sydney Sevens last month.
Gibbons’ resignation after just three months with Kenya Sevens comes at a time when the team’s strength and conditioning has been wanting, especially in Wellington and Sydney where the team performed poorly. He has joined Welsh Rugby Union on the same capacity.
Sources indicate that Gibbons has been at loggerheads with some directors at KRU over, among other things, the team’s training programmes. KRU is yet to employ an assistant to coach Simiyu.
On Thursday, Simiyu will name his squad for the next legs of the World Series in Las Vegas and Vancouver due March 3-5 and March 11-12 respectively on Thursday.
Simiyu declined to comment further on the issue of Gibbsons resignation, preferring to concentrate on Thursday’s naming of the squad.
He will be targeting an improved performance as he prepares his charges for a tough campaign Pool ‘C’ of Las Vegas Sevens against Sydney bronze medal winners New Zealand, Argentina and Russia.
