A hundred players are expected to attend the two-day Kenya Simbas trials this weekend at the RFUEA ground.
Making the announcement yesterday, Kenya Rugby Union (KRU) chairman, Oduor Gangla, said the squad will be whittled down to 60 before being halved to 30 players to represent the country for the Currie Cup tournament in South Africa next month.
Players coming for the trials will not be eligible to play for their clubs during the Enterprise Cup which starts this weekend across various venues in the country.
The Simbas will be making their second consecutive foray into South Africa's oldest rugby tournament and the chairman said it's key for Kenya s qualification to the Rugby World Cup in 2027.
“Our target is to play in the Currie Cup for the next four years to test ourselves against the top quality South African provincial sides and ensure that we qualify for the next World Cup," added Gangla.
Gangla said they will make the decision on the technical bench by Friday.
“ We have almost finalised everything and by the end of the week, we should have the new head coach so that they can take charge of the trials.
The national team will face a stern test in the three-month competition against South African sides like Leopards, Valke, Boland Cavaliers, Eastern Province, Border Bulldogs, and Goshwaks of Zimbabwe.
Other teams set to compete include Diables of Spain, Tel-Aviv Heat of Israel and Welwitschias of Namibia.
The Simbas are expected to play their first fixture on either April 1 or 8 once the organisers release the fixtures for the tournament.
Gangla said the squad will have adequate time to be competitive in the three-month tournament.
"Last year, we had a late start to the competition but as we went along, the team improved and I expect the same this year," he added.
The Simbas finished eighth last year on the log with 18 points having won three of the nine matches played.
The Simbas beat Border Bulldogs 35-12 then edged Leopards 51-35 a come-from-behind 41-24 victory over the Elephants.
