NAIROBI, Kenya, January 4- Warringah rugby club recruit Scott Gourley is confident the Rats will hold their own in Kenya in February 2011.
Dual international Scott Gourley has played down fears the Rats will be ambushed in their two-game tour of Kenya in the new year.
The Rats’ touring party has started training ahead of the February trip which will also act as a humanitarian exercise.
The club will visit the Oasis Africa Australia Kibera School, a children’s orphanage on the outskirts of Kenya’s capital, Nairobi.
Gourley, now 42 and still in pretty good shape, led the Rats at a low-key training session at Pittwater Park last weekend.
The Manly Daily understands senior members within the touring party have genuine concerns over some players’ attitudes towards the opening two training sessions.
“I don’t think going partying and all that is an acceptable excuse for the rest of us to cop why anybody cannot make it on Saturday’s,” a touring party member said in an email to team-mates.
But Gourley said all is in order and the club will be right to go on February 5.
“A lot of the guys that are going have played together and were part of Warringah’s winning second-grade grand-final team this year,” the former Wallaby said.
“I think we’ll be fine. I think more people should turn up (to training). That (email) was just to make sure more people do go to training.”
Warringah is one of the most potent clubs in Australia with past and current representatives gaining both provincial and international honours.
Their honour roll includes World Cup winning coach and current Melbourne rebels coach Rod Macqueen, current Wallabies assistant coach Jim Williams and current test players Richard Brown and Wycliff Palu.
Other players who have tirned out for the club include Scotland and British Lion legend Gregor Townsend and Mark Gerrard.
Waringah Rats will play their first XV match on Sunday 6th February 2011, against Chairman’s select at the RFUEA grounds at 1600hrs.
They will play their second XV match against Kenya A on Saturday 12th February 2011 at RFUEA Grounds at 1600hrs. Consequently, all Kenya Cup and ESS matches slated for Saturday 12th February 2011 have been pushed forward by one week, and clubs will all rest on that day to allow for the Waringah Rats vs Kenya A match on that day.
