A provisional squad of 60 players will be unveiled later this week in readiness for the Africa Cup slated for July in Uganda.
Kenya Rugby Union (KRU) director of 15's Moses Mukabane said the squad will be picked from the just concluded Super Series and expects to see several new faces in the team.
“The just concluded Super Series tournament was a huge success. Remember, we last had it in 2014 and it was good to see several young talented players give us hope that the sport is headed in the right direction,” added Mukabane
He said the Super Series will be a vital pathway to the national 15's team in the coming years.
"We already have the Kenya Cup but as a union, we believe the Super Series is a tougher competition than the league and will toughen our players physically and mentally for the rigours of international test rugby," observed Mukabane.
He said the squad will be whittled down to 40-45 players after the first round of training sessions before being reduced to the final squad of 30 by the end of June ahead of the continental tournament in Kampala.
He said there will be a couple of training camps for the team in Nairobi, Nakuru and Kakamega.
“Our national team players are spread all over and play for different clubs. So those from Western will train at Kabras while the players from Nakuru and its environs will train at the Menengai Oilers' facility. Nairobi players will converge at the KCB Sports Club," he noted.
The Simbas will face host Uganda, Zimbabwe, Senegal, and Algeria in the 10-day tournament and the former international expects Kenya to go all out and win the tournament.
"Last year, we lost the Victoria Cup to Uganda but retained the Elgon Cup. The technical bench has learned its lessons and we expect an improved display from them as part of our preparations to qualify for the 2027 Rugby World Cup,” added Mukabane.
The Simbas met early this year and held an alignment camp where the players were taken through the style of rugby the coaches were looking to implement this year.
