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The Nairobian

Rugby festival kicks off

Rugby

By Mulavi and Martin Mukangu | Sep 21, 2012

By Mulavi and Martin Mukangu

It is all systems go at Nyayo National Stadium, the venue of the 17th Safaricom Sevens Rugby tournament, which kicks off on Friday.

The tournament has attracted 16 teams including last year’s finalists, Samurai, South African Western Province (formerly Emerging Boks) Shujaa, Uganda Kobs, Kenya, French Grenoble, Uganda Cranes, Rwanda Spain, Bristol Barracudas, Hamilton Raiders, Chairman’s’ Select, Portugal, SA Sevens EPD, Zambia and Universities Select.

The Kenya national side will mainly be represented by two teams Shujaa and Kenya, while fans will be spoilt for choice on who to support with two more local sides in the fray – the Chairman’s Select and Universities Select sides.

Mike Friday, new National Sevens head coach, said the two main Kenyan sides in the tournament will have its players facing off in a battle of their lives as they seek to clinch berths in the national team for the International Rugby Board (IRB) Sevens circuit Gold Coast leg in Australia.

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“This are young men on a journey I am really pleased with how the boys have committed to the sevens programme,” said the coach.

Friday went on to urge fans to be patient and get behind their team. The coach promised showcase a passionate, faster, fit and more committed side that has a greater understanding of what it takes to play international sevens rugby for Kenya.

The Englishman is looking forward to matches against, Portugal, Spain and Samurai teams, which he has ranked as serious contenders and are further up in their programmes.

The tournament he says will be a yardstick on a journey for the Kenya team to see where “we are against quality” adding that it will be a tough and interesting competition.

On the Gold Coast tournament, where Kenya play England in their first group game, Friday said that it will be a very tough match for local boys playing England, who are in the top three nations. However, he declared that Kenya will be ready and fully committed to try and cause an upset in the first game of the tournament and there after take every game as it comes.

At the Safaricom Sevens, Kenya, who were the losing semi finalists last year, are grouped together with French side Grenoble, Uganda Cranes and Rwanda. Spain, are top seeds in Pool C where they will face opposition from the Bristol Barracudas of England, South Africa’s Hamilton Raiders and the third Kenyan side, Chairman’s Select.

Another core sevens side, Portugal, making their Safaricom Sevens debut, headlines Pool D where they have been group alongside South Africa Sevens Elite Player Development squad (formerly the Emerging Boks), Zambia and the Kenya Universities Select.

On Friday, there will be schools competition before the veteran competition kicks off from 5:30pm.