NAIROBI, Kenya, November 21 – National men’s rugby 7s team head coach Kelvin ‘Bling’ Wambua is confident Vincent Onyala and Tony Omondi will rejoin the side after sorting out their contractual standoff with the Kenya Rugby Union (KRU).
Wambua says he has been in contact with the duo and believes the two could soon don the national team jersey in the near future.
“For them it is just a contractual issue…something we are talking about. Hopefully, by the time we come back (from Dubai and Cape Town 7s), everything will be sorted. It is not like they have been chased away from the team; it’s just that they haven’t signed the contracts yet,” the coach said.
The duo have been at the centre of Shujaa’s success in the past year, co-captaining the side to the Paris Olympics via the Africa Cup, which they won in Harare, Zimbabwe in September last year.
They were also part of the team that secured Kenya’s return to the World Rugby Series via the Challenger Series.
Understandably, reports of their absence from the national team have sent tongues wagging and hearts shuddering over the gaping hole left in Shujaa set-up.
Nonetheless, Wambua reveals the two would not have made it to squad for the Dubai and Cape Town legs of the World Series due to lack of match fitness.
“We also have to understand that even if they showed up, they still have to meet some demands in terms of the key performance indicators (KPIs). We decided that they since they haven’t been around with us, to give others the opportunity to showcase what they can do because it is going to be a very long season,” the coach said.
In Dubai, Kenya will face off with the series defending champions France, Australia and South Africa in Pool A.
No hiding place
The coach is alive to the challenge that awaits them in the Middle East.
“As far as the pools go, there is no hiding place. Every pool is equally hard…I know we are playing against the first, third and fourth-ranked teams from the Olympics. Our focus solely is on the first game…that’s where we want to put all our energy. We want to have a good start…we want to get some points and remain consistently throughout the legs,” he said.
Wambua’s target is for Shujaa to retain their core status in their prestigious competition, a task he believes is achievable despite the youthfulness and inexperience of the squad.
“The good thing is that many of the teams are in the process of transition after the Olympics. If we are able to bring our best game, then I believe it is possible to maintain our core status. We want to be realistic about our chances of winning a leg…that is going to be very difficult. It is a step-by-step process,” he said.
The coach has named a 13-man squad for the job in Dubai and Capetown, which includes debutant Brayan Ondego.
Wambua waxed lyrical about the player, who was the Division Two top try scorer at this year’s National Sevens Circuit (NSC).
“He is a player we have been following keenly since last year. In the Sevens Circuit, he put up his hand and then at the Safari 7s he did the same and so he has earned his chance. We have worked with him for a long time, helping him to improve on his attacking as well as defending. Bringing him to the squad is a great chance to expose him to the level we expect him to play at and I am confident he will deliver should a chance come up in Dubai,” he said.
Shujaa depart the country on Monday (November 25) for ahead of the opening match on Friday (November 29) in Dubai.
