The winds of change seem to be blowing in club rugby. Days, when community clubs like Nondies, Quins and Impala dominated, seem like a distant dream, owing to the rise of moneyed corporate clubs.
KCB and Kabras have dominated the country’s top two competitions, Kenya Cup and Enterprise Cup, in the last decade.
The last community club to win the league was Nakuru RFC in 2014, with the last club outside the big two to reach the final being Impala in 2016. The gap between the corporate clubs and community sides is growing every year.
Unless the latter get funding or sponsorships, they will struggle to match KCB, Kabras and Menengai Oilers. Impala chairman Steve Obondy said their best source of funding is the pre-season Floodlight championship, which rakes in Sh2 million.
However, the amount is gobbled up by the five or six Kenya Cup matches, especially trips to Kakamega, Nakuru and Mombasa.
“Our first away game of the season was against Kabras in November. We took two teams — for Kenya Cup and for Eric Shirley Shield. We spent close to Sh400,000 in transport, accommodation and meals for the three days,” said Obondy.
“You multiply that by six away fixtures and our money is done. It means we have to rely on our veterans to honour subsequent matches.”
Another huge challenge is nutrition, which should be top-notch to allow players to withstand the contact nature of the sport.
“On that score, we have an arrangement with the Impala club kitchen, who come through during training days, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays and matchdays (Saturday). This means the players are fed four times a week. We buy the vegetables and the rest of the food and the cooks prepare it for us. However, it’s an expensive undertaking for a group of over 60 players,” he observed.
“We have been promising leads (for sponsors). We hope to secure one or two in the next couple of months.”
Recently, Mwamba RFC (a community club) held a fundraiser to support their switch to Goan Institute. Kulabu, as they are fondly known, were domiciled at the Railway Club, but due to the ongoing construction of a new bus park, they have had to play their fixtures at the RFUEA grounds for the past four years.
On the flipside, Menengai Oilers, bankrolled by the Rai family through their various brands — Top Fry, Menengai bar soap and Aquamist (water) — are run professionally, with players earning monthly allowances.
Oilers’ Kirori Mindo said they have a squad of 55 players, with 40 pursuing diplomas and degree courses at various universities, which the club pays for.
Transport to matches is by a company-owned, branded bus. The players are put through rigorous gym sessions between Monday and Thursday before heading to their various schools and universities, with meals provided on training and match days.
“We are very grateful to the sponsor, who has shown immense faith in the team. It makes the work of the technical bench easier when planning and preparing for matches,” said Mindo.
They have capacity to partner with South African clubs and coaches. They brought Blue Bulls forwards coach Jacob Nguenya from South Africa last year alongside Springboks under 20 coach Bafana Nhleko.
Oilers were losing Kenya Cup finalists in 2022 but stormed to the National Sevens Circuit just five years after promotion to the top tier in 2017. They have featured in the Kenya Cup semifinals in the last three seasons. Mindo said community clubs can narrow the gap by innovation and leadership.
“A good example is Blak Blad. It’s remarkable how they have managed to retain their players even if they have completed their degrees. This helps in performances, where they featured in the league playoffs last season,” he observed.
On leadership, Mindo said it’s vital for clubs to have the right people at the top.
“A good head coach with competent
strength and conditioning makes a big difference. Look at what Paul Murunga did at
Homeboyz — the players believed in him.
You look at the work of Curtis Olago at KCB
and Gibson Weru at Oilers; it shows how the
head coach is key to performances,” he said.
