KRU recalls Shujaa players on boycott for weekend’s Safari Sevens
Collins Injera is among senior players to be deployed for Safari Sevens title mission by Kenya Rugby Union (KRU) technical director Paul Feeney.
The team naming slated for today at RFUEA Grounds will see Kenya Sevens management unveil an all-star Shujaa squad and an equally talented Morans side to participate in this year’s edition of the Safari Sevens tourney.
Early 2018, senior Shujaa players boycotted training in owing to salaries and allowances disagreement with KRU.
The boycott saw the players divided over the matters as a section succumbed to the pressure and returned to save the team from HSBC Sevens relegation under former tactician Paul Murunga.
Among the players set to make impact on their return after a 20-month boycott include Injera, Willy Ambaka and Billy Odhiambo.
The three have been in training alongside other seniors including Nelson Oyoo, Jacob Ojee, Andrew Amonde, Jeff Oluoch, Bush Mwale, Alvin Otieno, Daniel Taabu, Johnstonne Olindi, Daniel Sikuta and Vincent Onyala.
Dennis Ombachi, Samuel Oliech and former captain trio of Oscar Ayodi, Oscar Ouma and Eden Agero are yet to return to Shujaa camp and are expected to miss the November 8-9 Africa Sevens-cum-Tokyo 2020 Olympics qualifiers squad to be picked this showdown.
In a bid to reclaim the Tusker Safari Sevens title this weekend, the two teams representing Kenya in the 16-team tournament will need to match their main rivals thus the need return of the stars this weekend.
Defending champs Samurai has named a strong side made up of a Scottish, English, French, Australians and South Africans to make their squad without a local player like in previous editions.
Springboks will be led by coach Renfred Dazel in their return to Safari Sevens with a couple of dependable players in their strong squad highlighted by their all-time top scorer and playmaker Cecil Afrika, James Murphy and winger Siviwe Soyizwapi.
The Springboks previous participation saw the team beat Kenya 21-17 in the cup final at the Nyayo Stadium in 2012.
Eight local players who did nont make Kenya sevens provisional squad but impressed in the 2019 local circuit have been handed slots in the Red Wailors rugby team that comes with five players from Great Britain.
The eight include Homeboyz forward Bob Muhati, Nakuru duo of Walter Okoth and Chrissant Ojwang, Impala duo of Elkeans Musonye and Alvin Marube, Archadius Khwesa of Blak Blad and Tony Omondi of Stanbic Mwamba.
So far, Russia Academy and Narvskaya Zastava have arrived in the country. The rest of the teams are expected to jet in between this afternoon and tomorrow evening.
