KCB seeking lessons from Safari Sevens

KCB RFC Sevens head coach Dennis Mwanja expects his charges to benefit from exposure when they face visiting international teams in the upcoming Safari Sevens.

The National Sevens Series Circuit champions, along with Shujaa and Morans are the trio of Kenyan teams that will represent the country at the three-day rugby extravaganza.

The Bankers, making only their second Safari Sevens appearance, will battle it out with the defending champions Samurai alongside World Sevens core side Spain and Olympic bronze medalists South Africa.

“I don’t think I have young guys in the squad, I think they’re all experienced in view of the fact that they have been in the larger training squad and they’ll be able to get more experience playing in an international tournament,” Mwanja said.

Mwanja has lost the services of wingers Johnstone Olindi and Vincent Onyala, Mickey Wanjala, flanker Andrew Amonde, Jacob Ojee and Geoffrey Okwach to the national team but he is optimistic that the other players left in his squad will be up to the task.

“We as KCB we have depth so I still have more players who can play in the Safari, the national team took our six players but I still have players who were part of the sevens training squad who will step up, so it will not be a great depression but it’s good for the experience of the team,” the former Shujaa player added.

Mwanja downplayed their domestic series victory as a won’t be a highlight that makes them a side to watch, saying the local circuit can’t be compared to the international tournament.

“You can’t compare national circuit with safari since it’s an international tournament and then my team has contributed the most players for the national team, so winning the national circuit is a different story to international tournament,” pressed Mwanja.

“We have to be objective and say the national players who have left a gap in the team leave an opportunity to the players who have replaced them to step up to the challenge,” he added.

Others include Zimbabwe, Uganda, Zambia, Russia academy, Western Province and Blue Bulls from South Africa, Seventise Rugby from Russia as well as regulars International Invitational sides Red Wailers.

The tournament will be played at the RFUEA ground.