By BS Mulavi
At a time when the national Sevens team is in the news for the wrong reasons, New Zealand legend Timo Tagaloa has expressed his respect for the side.
Tagaloa, who featured for All Blacks 15s side and the Kiwis Sevens side in the early nineties, feels the national team should be lauded for the progress they have achieved despite their current dip in form.
Timo Tagaloa when he conducted a rugby clinic at St Christopher’s School in Karen, Nairobi, on Saturday. Photo: Martin Mukangu/Standard |
The Kiwi, a native of Samoa, was speaking while Kenya were getting drubbed by the IRB circuit leaders 42-5 in the first game of the Scotland leg of the IRB sevens circuit. Kenya yet again disappointed with a sub standard performance in Edinburgh losing all their three games to Samoa, Argentina 26-14 and France 28-5 to drop to the shield competition on the second game of the day.
"The side has proved to the outside world that Kenya does not only have athletes, but it can also produce quality rugby players," said the rugby legend.
Tagaloa, who is the in the country for the Global Child Health Now campaign, was speaking to Feverpitch at the St Christopher’s Secondary School where he conducted a rugby clinic for upcoming rugby players.
The former All Black believes Kenya should continue to polish their mode of play, which is using massive pace and flair in their games and with time it will all be going well for the side.
The 45-year-old was speaking alongside World Vision official Nicholas Wasunna who said he was excited with the ongoing campaign and what Tagaloa was trying to achieve as an ambassador for the World Vision Programme.
"We are a bit behind in reaching the Millennium Development goals (MDG), so we reckon that we had to ramp up tempo; because we believe that every child has a right to live," said Wasunna.
