Past action between Lenana and Nairobi schools at Jamhuri High School/FILEThe Kenya under-18 rugby team will compete in the Zimbabwe Schools Rugby Championship next year, scheduled for March 9–15, Kenya Rugby Union development officer Ronald Okoth has revealed.
Speaking on Friday, Okoth said the 60-man squad will assemble in January to begin preparations for the Southern African tournament.
“We assembled the team in July and August, but due to logistical challenges, we have had no time for build-up matches because of the academic calendar and other factors,” Okoth noted.
He added that the two-month preparation period will give the side adequate time to mould a strong, formidable team for the week-long championship.
“The opportunity to play their peers in Zimbabwe will be invaluable for their rugby development,” he said.
“It will prepare them for future representation at the Kenya Under-20 level, and potentially for Shujaa and Simbas in the years to come.”
Okoth highlighted that facing Zimbabwe will be a valuable test for the youngsters.
“Zimbabwe has one of the best age-grade rugby programmes on the continent. They have also qualified for the Rugby World Cup in Australia in 2027, and there are several areas we can learn from them,” he explained.
He expressed confidence that the selected team will be competitive, noting the likely participation of top schools from Zimbabwe, as well as teams from South Africa and Zambia.
Okoth also revealed that plans to partner with the Kenya Academy for Sports (KAS) for talent identification and training camps, originally slated to start this month, have been shelved due to a lack of funds.
“We were hoping to replicate last year’s successful partnership, but cash constraints have put this on hold,” he said.
Meanwhile, Kenya’s under-16 team, which missed the Africa School Games in Angola next week because the country is not a World Rugby affiliate, will now focus on the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal, next year.
