Fresh storm in Shujaa horizon after sponsorship axe

The National Sevens team has staged a no-show at the Shujaa training in the latest indication that the Kenya Rugby Union (KRU) crisis is only just deepening.

The Shujaa were scheduled to resume training on Thursday but skipped the session, plunging KRU into fresh setback following the cancellation of their sponsorship deal with Brand Kenya.

Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala had earlier ordered Brand Kenya to cancel the KSh20 million contract with the Union over internal wrangles and non-payment of player allowances.

The series of chaos was sparked by the defiant act of blocking the ‘Make it Kenya’ jersey logo during the Paris leg of the HSBC World Rugby Series tour as Shujaa protested unpaid allowances.

After a series of statements made by both KRU and Brand Kenya, it emerged the former had already received the initial batch of payment but had yet to remit the funds to the players’ accounts.

CS Balala has consequentially instructed that the rest of the amount be wired directly into the players’ accounts as he expressed his ‘deep’ disappointment in the KRU.

The situation throws KRU back in the dark, facing participation uncertainties in global events after chairman Richard Omwela had pleaded with the Government to come to their rescue.

The Kenya Sevens are preparing for their Sevens Rugby World Cup after a 10-day break but that remains uncertain with the current unfolding with sports tribunal yet to give its verdict on the way forward today with the future of the centurion Coach in doubt.

The Sevens World Cup is set for July 20-22 in USA and with the current standoff between the players and their paymasters, only time will tell what will transpire.