Simiyu braced for first test as Kenya 7s land in Namibia

Kenya 7s landed in Namibia ahead of the Safland Invitational Tournament in Swakopmund this weekend where former captain Innocent ‘Namcos’ Simiyu will lead the team out for the first time.

The team will thereafter have a week-long training camp in Namibia before the kick off the 2016/17 HSBC World Series season in Dubai.

Kenya Rugby Union stated earlier that new strength and conditioning Coach Ian Gibbons will link up with the squad in Namibia.

The team jetted out on Monday with their travel aided by tournament sponsors Safland and The Swakopmund Dome.

Simiyu named his first 16-man squad on Friday gifting Derick Mayar, Darwin Mukidza and Kabras Sugar speedsters Aluda Beda and Brian Tanga a chance to prove their worth before the new season starts as they were named in the squad for the first time.

The team is missing record try scorer, Collins Injera and his elder brother Humphrey Kayange in Nambia but they are listed in the 21-man squad for the Dubai 7s.

Simiyu intends to use tournament will be used to shape up the team before the World Series opener as the coach stated in their training camp.

“The team is yet to fully adopt the principles and core values I’m instilling but I hope the invitational tournament will offer a glimpse of the scale of the task in hand before the season kicks off,” Simiyu stressed.

Other teams participating in Safland 7’s include defending champions South Africa, USA, Germany, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana and Nigeria

Dubai sevens 2016/17 kicks off on December 2, where Shujaa will play Australia, France and Japan as Simiyu seeks to improve on their seventh finish last season where the team missed on matching their record points tally of 100 by two.

SHUJAA SQUAD FOR SAFLANDS TOURNAMENT

Andrew Amonde (captain), Oscar Ouma, William Ambaka, Frank Wanyama, Nelson Oyoo, Leonard Mugaisi, Dan Sikuta, Billy Odhiambo, Eden Agero, Bush Mwale, Martin Owila, Augustine Lugonzo, Brian Tanga, Aluda Beda, Darwin Mukidza, Derek Mayar

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Shujaa Innocent Simiyu Namibia Kenya Rugby Union Kenya 7s Swakopmund Namcos Safland Invitational

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