An image of mercurial Kabras Sugar halfback Brian Tanga slicing his way past three burly KCB players has received considerable attention online.
The series of four snaps, which were shared on Kabras Sugar’s official twitter handle and re-shared in WhatsApp groups, captures the exact moment the elusive scrumhalf spots a half gap in the KCB defence and takes his chance.
It demonstrates the level of tenacity, confidence and self-belief Kabras has displayed in their blemish-free procession to their third Kenya Cup title. The sugar millers capped a spectacular season winning Kenya’s premiership without a single loss. Phenomenal!
An article by Nation Sport Managing Editor Elias Makori published on Tuesday talks about the club’s structured scholarship programme that ensures a steady stream of talent within their ranks.
Kabras is currently one of the few Kenyan rugby clubs that have the financial muscle to bring in top talent from around the world.
In Saturday’s Kenya Cup final, South African Ntabeni Dukisa sunk nine points with Fijian-born Jone Kubu contributing three. The club has a South African tactician – Carlos Katywa.
South Africans and Fijians have been part of the club’s playing set up over the past eight years.
The players and their colourful fans painted Kakamega green, black and yellow as they celebrated their Kenya Cup title win.
But sadly, there was no prize money, and no additional incentive to inspire the winners and the other teams ahead of the next season.
The last time the Kenya Cup had prize money was in 2019 courtesy of the broadcast partner at the time. Winners received Sh1 million and runners-up Sh400,000.
Kenya’s topmost club competition desperately needs meaningful corporate sponsorship to make the league lucrative. Uganda’s rugby union has consistently secured sponsorship for their Premiership league.
Winning Kenya Cup should secure a ticket to play on the continent as it happens in football.
The winners of the different national premier leagues around the continent compete in the Confederation of African football’s Champions League. It’s the pinnacle of club football competition in Africa and has raised the profile of the game globally.
In rugby, CAF’s equivalent, Rugby Afrique has struggled to replicate a similar system.
Regionally, in 2013, the East Africa Rugby Super Cup was mooted. It involved club sides that had finished first and second in Kenya and Uganda. The Cup unfortunately failed to gain recognition from the KRU. It fizzled out in 2018 never to be heard of again.
Having a Rugby Afrique Club Championship, excluding teams from South Africa and Namibia, would be an ideal pathway to raise the level of competitiveness amongst clubs in Africa. It exposes them to different skills sets, rugby cultures and cultivates a professional environment.
This could lay the foundation for the possibility of more teams representing the continent at the 2027 Rugby World Cup. I hope the Kenya Simbas will be one of those teams. BY DAILY NATION