Kenya Simbas have been pitted against Zambia, Uganda and Zimbabwe in the Victoria Cup scheduled for November.
Kenya Rugby Union (KRU) director of national squads, Moses Mukabane, said the championship seeks to improve Simbas' rankings and keep them competitive as they start the next World Cup cycle after failing to qualify for the 2027 edition in Uganda over the weekend.
The former Mean Machine player believes Simbas need a long-term plan and structure coupled with funding from partners.
“Going to play build-up matches in South Africa for one month ahead of the qualifiers will not be enough to secure World Cup qualification. Going forward, we need to be intentional and plan for two to three years ahead of the qualifiers,” added Mukabane.
He said, “The biggest dilemma we face is a lack of resources. Funding a national 15s squad is expensive, and that is an area I believe we have struggled with.
"Talent is not an issue because we have top players coming through the ranks from the under-18 and under-20.
"As the union, we are crafting a plan for the next World Cup in 2031 to see where we can get resources.”
Mukabane said of utmost importance is the resumption of Super Series to identify the country's top 100 players to complement the Kenya Cup.
“ The super series is something we have to get back to. Kenya Cup is not competitive, and using it to identify top talent is not easy, as it is heavily skewed towards the big three clubs of Kabras, Oilers and KCB. We hope by next year, it will be something permanent in our calendar, “ observed Mukabane
He said there will be a two-pronged approach for the next four years, either by playing in the Currie Cup in South Africa or test matches against higher-ranked opposition.
"We are exploring the two options for he next couple of years so that teams remain competitive throughout to give us a better chance of qualifying for the next World Cup.
He added that the union will also factor in planning for the Lionesses and Chipu as they look at improving their rankings in subsequent years.
