Shujaa, Lionesses keen to display Kenya magic
Kenya men’s and women’s rugby sevens national teams, Shujaa and the Lionesses, says they are in Japan to put their best foot forward and showcase their brand of rugby.
Shujaa and Lionesses are camping in Kurume City in readiness for the Olympics, and speaking to the press, Shujaa’s head coach Innocent ‘Namcos’ Simiyu said that they are happy with the facilities in Kurume and they are poised to roar when the games start.
“We are happy that we are out and have started our preparations and we’re, therefore, quite happy and ready to go,” said Simiyu.
Simiyu said that having left the country early to Japan, they have enough time to acclimatise and prepare for the games.
“Back at home we really focused on our game profiles but for now we’re focusing on our game plans versus South Africa and the USA being the day one events and we will take a game at a time with the USA.”
Talking about the Pool which Kenya is paired with South Africa and the USA as well as Ireland, which most people see as underdogs, Simiyu refused to rate them as such, saying that they will approach each match as it comes.
“Ireland is a very good team. Even before they came to the core series, they made the semifinals of the world series a couple of times.
They won their series qualifiers and the repechage, so they are quite a good team and they play a very expansive game.,” he said, adding that they are not expecting any easy game since all pools are tough
“For us, it is a game at a time and it’s more important in regards to us hitting our standards earlier and playing our game, showcasing Kenyan talents and brand of rugby,”
Simiyu said that adhering to the Covid-19 set down guidelines from back at home and World Rugby and Olympics guidelines in Japan will play a key factor considering that any team can be affected and ruled out.
His women’s counterpart coach Felix Oyoo said that Lionesses are seen as underdogs in the tournament, but will not go into any game with fear as they seek to make a mark in the Olympics, the world’s premier sports event.
“In a seven’s game, anyone can win. So, insofar as we are the underdogs, we’ll put our best foot forward without a doubt. We’re playing the best teams in the world.
When you look at New Zealand, they are the top team in the world. When you look at Great Britain, they are among the top three in the world. Russia is also coming up very well, and they are in the top five as well.
