Menengai Oilers star centre Samuel Owvamu, teammate Vincent Mwikhali, and Kabras utility forward Patrick Sabatia have been drafted in Kenya Simbas’ 28-man squad for the Rugby World Cup qualifiers on July 8 in Kampala.
Head coach Jerome Paarwater said the trio, alongside South Africa-based David Bunduki, impressed in training and matches across the past month.
“They have been excellent down south and deserve a chance to play in this high-stakes tournament.”
Their month-long high-performance training in South Africa has instilled a mental fortitude which will be vital in the three knockout fixtures at the Rugby Africa Cup.
“From past experiences, we have struggled mentally in the pressure cooker of knockout games, dating back to the 2014 qualifiers. We have worked on that aspect, and the boys are relishing the battle,” observed Paarwater.
“There have been a lot of lessons learnt in South Africa, and the players bonded very well with each other. This improves teamwork on and off the field. We’re glad that we don’t have any serious injuries within the team,
Thomas Okeyo, Samuel Asati, Jone Kubu and John Okoth are also back in the final squad, having last played for the Simbas in 2023.
The squad will have a short pre-departure camp on Wednesday, travel on Thursday, train for four days before opening their campaign against the hosts on Tuesday at 4 pm.
The winner will face the winner of the other quarterfinal, pitting African champions Zimbabwe and Morocco.
The other half of the draw sees former champions Namibia taking on Senegal, while last year’s runners-up, Algeria, take on Côte d’Ivoire.
The semi-finals are scheduled for July 13, with the final six days later. The winner will secure a direct ticket to the 2027 Rugby World Cup.
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