The Kenya under-20 rugby team Chipu secured a sixth-place finish in the World Rugby Under-20 Trophy after going down 64-10 to Zimbabwe at the Nyayo Stadium.
Coach Curtis Olago, strongly emphasised that early and structured preparations are crucial to achieving better results in future tournaments.
“I believe the selection process should be refined, coupled with improved player tracking mechanisms to identify and nurture promising talent,” said Olago.
He credited the Kenya Rugby Union (KRU) chairman, Alexander Mutai, for the proactive steps his regime is taking to develop age-grade rugby in the country, and called for additional resources to be allocated to the team’s growth.
“It is very important to expose the team to more competitive games to expose the youthful players to high-pressure situations,” he added.
“Facing Samoa in the opening match without prior competitive warm-up games posed a significant challenge. The Samoans’ physicality proved to be a formidable test for the Kenyan team,” said Olago, who is also a KCB tactician.
Looking to the future, Olago expressed confidence in the team’s potential, saying they are not far from achieving their goals, provided they begin their preparations early.
“We also need to make more tactical improvements by focusing on attention to detail and specialising in essential departments such as line-outs, scrums, and exit strategies in order to strengthen our pursuit of becoming a better side,” added Olago.
During the match against Zimbabwe, Chipu got their first points on the board through a 54th-minute penalty converted by Faran Juma. Tsindoli scored the second try six minutes later with Eddy Wambugu adding the extra two points, culminating in a full-time score of 64-10.
Notably, Andy Cole Omollo’s outstanding performances did not go unnoticed, as he was awarded by the World Anti-Doping Association for his commitment to clean and fair play.
Meanwhile, Zimbabwe captain, Brendan Marume, lauded the competitive rugby structure in his country, revealing that players begin their journey at grade 4, (around the age of 10), and are scouted for junior national teams during schoolboy rugby.
Opportunities to become student-athletes at foreign universities and to play professionally like Shingi Manyarara’s signing with Racing 92, have also significantly contributed to the development of Zimbabwe’s national team.
