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Africa Rugby 7s: Onyango aware of Kenya mountain
Nutmeg. Aaron Ofoywroth (R) dazzles past Adrian Kasito in training. PHOTO/J. BATANUDDE
Rugby Cranes Sevens coach Tolbert Onyango has picked Kenya is the toughest nut to crack at this week’s Africa Rugby 7s tournament to be hosted by Uganda.
Two-time Africa champions Uganda will be hoping to ride on home support in their bid to qualify for both the Commonwealth Games and the Rugby Sevens World Cup.
The top three countries will qualify for the Birmingham Games while the two finalists make it to Cape Town, South Africa for the World Cup.
Burkina Faso, Ghana, Madagascar, Namibia, Senegal, Tunisia, Zambia, Zimbabwe and holders Kenya will form the opposition. There is no hiding for the latter. “Obviously it will be very tough. They (Kenya) are a much more experienced side, a bigger side as well but we are up to the challenge,” Kenyan-born Onyango said. Shuuja, the Kenya national rugby sevens, arrive here from Canada as the marked men for the continental crown.
Kenyan finished 14th in the latest round of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series – the premier tournament of this code. They had also finished 11th in Singapore. Cumulatively, they lie 10th after five rounds of the eight scheduled this year.
Over the past two decades, Kenya have sought to become a core side with winning the Singapore 7s in 2016 the pinnacle of their hustle.
In that era dominated by 7s legend Colins Injera, they also reached the Rugby Sevens World Cup semi-finals in 2009 and 2013.
Those heady times may look distant but they start this weekend’s Rugby Africa 7s tournament as Kyadondo as favourites.
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