Chipu triumph: Kenya's U20 rugby victory sets stage for global competition
Reading Time: 3min | Tue. 30.04.24. | 11:26
In fact, seven out of the 31 players named for the tournament were part of the 2019 squad
The Barthes U20 Trophy, which concluded on Sunday in Zimbabwe, lived up to the billing, demonstrating that there are no 'small rugby nations' on the continent. There are only nations with a 'small rugby mentality'.
Interestingly, Zimbabwe, Chipu's strongest opponents over the years, watched from the sidelines as the young Kenyans were crowned the champions.
Well, at least Kenya has qualified for the World Rugby U20 Trophy in Scotland, and the Kenya Rugby Union (KRU) can leverage that opportunity to further equip the boys with the necessary skills ahead of the global competition.
Rugby enthusiasts will recall that the young lads were in camp for just nine days before the continental showpiece, and as coach Simon Jawichre mentioned during a post-match interview, the boys gelled further in the South African nation to pull off that impressive performance.
"When we landed in Harare for the first time, our scrum was not as good as it is now. This one-week stay together has enabled us to address certain areas, and a lot of work on the lineouts also paid off," he said.
Last year, during the World Rugby U20 Trophy held at the Nyayo Stadium, the Kenyans failed to shine, ending the tournament in sixth place after a 64-10 loss to Zimbabwe in the fifth-place playoff.
Spain made it to the top tier of international age-grade rugby for the first time after winning 39-32 in a spectacular 10-try match final against Uruguay.
The Chipu were under the tutelage of Curtis Olago, who emphasized the need for ideal strategies to help the team perform at its peak.
"To compete in a tournament of this magnitude, we have to prepare well. It's not just about preparing for two weeks, three weeks, or even a month. Processes like the selection process need to be structured, including talent tracking. But after participating at this level, we now understand how much ground we have to cover and how hard we need to work. Our suggestion would be to prepare really well, allocate resources, and participate in high-quality competitions before such tournaments," the four-time Kenya Cup winner with KCB Rugby said.
Ideally, Chipu are likely to define Kenya's style of play, considering that the current U20 squad could produce future stars. In 2022, for instance, Kenya Simbas had a Rugby World Cup qualifying campaign, first through the African qualifiers and then through the repechage tournament.
Most of the players selected had passed through the Barthes Cup. In fact, seven out of the 31 players named for the tournament were part of the 2019 squad. They included Samuel Asati, Timothy Omela, Beldad Ogeta, Ian Masheti, and Andrew Simiyu. The team has also been graced with talent in the past, like Martin Owilah, Mike Okombe, Edwin Makori, and Geoffrey Okwach, who have all exhibited great potential.
As anticipation builds for the upcoming World Rugby U20 Trophy scheduled for July 2–17, it is essential that the excitement surrounding the Barthes U20 Trophy victory dissipate and the Union focus fully on the international tournament.
Now, the focus should be on assembling the winning squad in the camp and further honing their skills. Two months will also be crucial in ensuring that the young lads have all the necessary travel documents in time to avoid last-minute complications.
If Chipu triumphed after such a short period in the camp, one can only speculate on the potential impact a two-month camp could have on the young Kenyans.
