Kenya's rugby sevens stars: Where is the 2001 World Cup team?

Kenya has been to the last five Rugby Sevens World Cup. The East Africans first competed at the 2001 World Cup in Mar del Plata in Argentina.

Since then, Kenya has been a permanent fixture in the World Cup Sevens as well as the Commonwealth Games and the World Series. But where is the pioneer squad that featured at the 2001 World Cup?

From that squad, four players have gone on to handle the Kenya Sevens team famously known as Shujaa. They are Mitch Ocholla, Felix Ochieng’, Benjamin Ayimba and Paul Murunga.

The 2001 Shujaa squad was under the tutelage of William Bill Githinji, a former Kenyan international.

He coached Impala Rugby Club as well. Githinji served as the club’s chairman from 2016 until early this year when Bob Asiyo took over. He held the job of Kenya Sevens head coach between 2000 and 2003.

He had taken over from Michael ‘Tank’ Otieno, who had guided Shujaa to its first ever appearance at the Sevens World Series in 1999-2000.

The players

Kenneth Aswani – He went to the US for further studies a few months after the 2001 Rugby World Cup in Mar del Plata and is still based there.

Benjamin Ayimba - He remains the first and only Kenyan coach to win a title in World Series.

He guided Shujaa to lift the Singapore Sevens crown in 2016. He is also a former Kenya Sevens and Kenya 15 captain. In his first spell as Shujaa coach, he led Kenya to its best ever finish at a Rugby World Cup, as Shujaa reached the semi-final stage in 2009 in Dubai.

Kenya stunned defending champions Fiji 26-7 in Cup quarter-finals before being stopped by Argentina 12-0 in the semi-final stage. The former Impala and Nondies player was also in charge when Shujaa reached a World Rugby Sevens Series final for the first time - in Adelaide Sevens in Australia the same year. He is currently part of the technical bench at the Kenya Harlequin.

Stephen Gitonga – He played and coached the oldest club in Kenya: Nondescripts. Nondies, as the club is famously known, was founded in 1923. He lives in Kenya.

Alan Hicks – At club level, Hicks played for Nondescripts. He is believed to be in the country.

Paul ‘Pau’ Murunga - The former Ulinzi and KCB player was assistant to Benjamin Ayimba in the 2015-2016 season when Shujaa defeated heavyweights Fiji 30-7 to win the Singapore Sevens.

He made his return to Shujaa as head coach in the 2018-2019 season.

Murunga made a name for himself coaching the Kenya Under-19 team (Chipu) and Homeboyz Club before he was employed by Shujaa. He had replaced Innocent ‘Namcos’ Simiyu.

Felix ‘Toti’ Ochieng - He is a former head coach of the Kenya Sevens team. Ochieng’ deputised Paul Treu. He was promoted to the position of head coach when the South African resigned in late 2014. He was in charge of Shujaa for the 2014-2015 Rugby Sevens World Series season.

Mitch Ocholla – He was recently appointed the new Impala Saracens head coach after Frank Ndong’ stepped aside early this month, citing personal and family commitments.

Ocholla has also coached Strathmore Leos and Nakuru before landing at Impala. He was the man in charge of Shujaa in the 2011-2012 World Series season when Kenya finished 12th (last), but luckily escaped relegation as the World Rugby (back then known as International Rugby Board) expanded the number of core teams to 15.

Anthony Ongoro - He left for the United States of America shortly after the 2001 Rugby World Cup held in Mar del Plata in Argentina.

Oscar Osir Osula – He was the Kenya Sevens team manager between 2008 and 2011.

During his active years, Osir played Mwamba and then KCB and finally Impala. In around 2005, he also played for English second tier side Penzance & Newlyn.

He is currently at Impala Saracens and recently coached the side in the Stanbic Bank National Sevens Circuit. Osir is holding the position of assistant coach at the club.

Allan Wamanga – He played rugby for Nondescripts before crossing over to France to ply his trade. He is believed to be back in the country.