National schools rugby 15-a-side champions Butula Boys will use next month's Alliance and Maseno Open tournaments as build-ups ahead of the Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association (KSSSA) regional championship in March.
Head coach Shimenga Livondo said they have started training in earnest and are relishing the challenge of first qualifying from the region.
“We have already done three weeks of solid training and we are looking forward to the Amadi tournament in Maseno and the Alliance Open, where we will be tested accordingly by the opponents.
Head coach Shimenga Livondo said they have started training in earnest and are relishing the challenge of first qualifying from the region.
"The holiday was long but I see the boys are getting back to their usual fitness. We have trained for three weeks in a bid to shake off the rust and I believe by the time the sub-county games begin, we will be in good condition and ready to compete,” he noted.
Livondo had a stint at St Peter's Mumias where he won national titles including three in the sevens version of the game and one in the 15s format in 2014.
He said he expects stern tests from top teams in the western in the race to win the regional crown.
“As you are aware, Western is the hub of rugby in the country. We have Koyonzo, Musingu, Chavakali, Kakamega High, and St. Peter's Mumias. It's going to be a hard-fought race to get the ticket but my boys are ready to go all the way to the nationals,” observed Livondo.
One of the success stories of Butula is the emergence of the hugely talented Rayvone Ambale, who joined the prestigious United Kingdom Bryanston School.
Livondo said he is keen to shape new talents from the school. “Among my big motivators are discipline, understanding the laws of the game and hard work. We have seen what Ambale is doing and he is an inspiration to the players he left behind in the school,” noted Livondo.
Butula were crowned national champions last year when they beat All Saints 38-0 in Eldoret in a one-sided final.
