Sevens rugby aces hope to draw inspiration from junior athletes

Kenya’s national sevens rugby team hopes to draw inspiration from the world-beating Kenyan track and field team to from the just concluded IAAF World Under-20 Championships when the Rugby World Cup Sevens gets underway on Friday in USA.

Kenya Rugby Union (KRU) chairman Richard Omwela told the Kenya Sevens team to emulate the juniors by surpassing their previous performances from the 2009 (Dubai) and 2013 (Moscow) World Cup sevens tournaments.

Kenya open their quest against Tonga on Friday before meeting eighth-seeded Scotland in Round of 16 the same day at the iconic AT&T Park in San Francisco.

The team will be hoping to go a step further by reaching the final, and even lifting the World Cup for the first time, having reached the semi-finals in 2009 Dubai and in 2013 Moscow.

Kenyan juniors took the world by storm by topping the medal standings for the fourth time as the World Under-20 Championships ended in Tampere, Finland on Sunday.

The athletes collected 11 medals — six gold, four silver and one bronze — for a repeat of the 2000 (Santiago), 2006 (Beijing) and 2010 (Moncton, Canada) championships where they topped the medal standings.

“They really need to emulate the youngsters in athletics and I believe they can do it with the right attitude and belief,” said Omwela adding that Kenya’s sevens team has been a world beater for log.

Omwela noted that reaching the Cup finals in Canada and Hong Kong at the just ended IRB World Sevens Series is a strong indicator that Kenya is ready to take on big guns in USA.

“However, we are not taking it for granted since we know the kind of challenge to expect in San Francisco and it won’t be easy,” said Omwela. Kenya Sevens team left the country on Sunday for the championships where they will be taking part for the fifth consecutive time.

Omwela was speaking upon receiving Sh9 million sponsorship from Stanbic Bank for the National Sevens Circuit which kicks off on Saturday, July 21, with the first leg in Nakuru.

The sponsorship cheque for the Series — that will have six legs — was handed over by the Stanbic Bank chief executive officer, Charles Mudiwa.

Omwela, who thanked Stanbic Bank for their continued commitment and support to the Union and the game, said the organisers of the six events will get Sh1 million each. The rest will aid the Union’s administrative costs during the duration of the circuit.”

Mudiwa said hoped that their sponsorship will help the country to continue churning sevens rugby talent and wished Kenya Sevens team best of luck in San Francisco.

“Our continued investment is tied to a noble ambition to build rugby from the grassroots level of the game and encouraging even more people to watch and play the sport,” said Mudiwa.