Omwela to striking Kenya 7s players: You'll never don the national shirt again

What you need to know:

  • Omwela, who expressed his frustration over a "cartel of senior players", said that the union will not be held at ransom by the players.

  • He said that the union is currently cash-strapped hence can’t afford to pay huge salaries and bonus demanded by the players. Close to 16 senior players have continued to boycott training in protest over slashed salaries.

  •  The senior players, who used to earn between Sh170,000 and Sh145,000 last season, want the union to uphold the same structure for the 2018/2018 season.

Kenya Rugby Union (KRU) chairman Richard Omwela on Wednesday warned the rebelling Kenya Sevens senior players that they risk being frozen out of  the national team set up for good.

Omwela, who expressed his frustration over a "cartel of senior players", said that the union will not be held at ransom by the players.

“We shall not allow a group of players to manipulate the Union. They shall play on our terms and not theirs,” warned Omwela adding that the union need to send a strong message to the players that the country is bigger than individual players.

Omwela was speaking at a press conference where Kenya Sevens team for the next legs of the 2018/2019 World Rugby Sevens Series was named. The team handled by Paul “Pau” Murunga leaves the country on Saturday for Hamilton Sevens slated for January 26-27 in New Zealand and Sydney on February 2-3 in Australia.

Murunga, who named Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB) winger Jacob Ojee as the new Kenya Sevens captain, handed five players their first international outing.

Ojee will be deputised by Homeboyz scrum-half Michael Wanjala in the 13-man squad that has five rookies- former Kenya Under-19 captain Harold Anduvate, Brian Wandera, Eliakim Kichoi, William Reeves and Mark Wandetto.

Omwela said that the union is currently cash-strapped hence can’t afford to pay huge salaries and bonus demanded by the players. Close to 16 senior players have continued to boycott training in protest over slashed salaries.

Asked whether the senior players will be absorbed back if the union is to get credible sponsorship Omwela posed: “What message will we be sending to nation or the players, who have agreed to play on meagre pay…how will the young players feel?”

Omwela said that it has come a time when they need to change the mentality at the Kenya Sevens team where senior players have always had their way and say.

“Are they playing for money or the nation? it’s unacceptable for them to continue dictating to us when they know the situation,” said Omwela, who called on the young team to go out and put up a good show in New Zealand and Australia.

Omwela said their financial crunch might have started when SportPesa withdraw their sponsorship in January last year, the situation was worsened when Kenya Sevens players concealed a sponsor’s logo during the Paris Sevens last year.

 The senior players, who used to earn between Sh170,000 and Sh145,000 last season, want the union to uphold the same structure for the 2018/2018 season.

However, the Union has adopted a lower salary structure where senior players are now supposed to earn Sh100,000 and below.

Former Kenya Sevens skipper Andrew Amonde, William “Lomu” Ambaka, Samuel Oliech, Nelson Oyoo and Collins Injera, who were with Kenya Simbas in their failed 2019 Rugby World Cup qualifying campaign in repecharge held in France, failed to report to training.

Kenya Sevens skipper Eden Agero, Dennis Ombachi and Jeff Oluoch, who were part of the Dubai and Cape Town campaigns, have also not trained with the team since then. The players had accepted the new salary scheme, only to turn it down after Dubai and Cape Town.

Billy Odhiambo trained with the team briefly but later opted to stay out altogether alongside former Kenya Sevens skipper Oscar Ayodi, Oscar Ouma.

Also not in training are Augustine Lugonzo, Brian Tanga, Dan Sikuta and Leonard Mugaisi who was in Dubai and Cape Town, and Arthur Owira, who sustained a nasty injury during the Commonwealth Games in April.