Chipu's man mountain lock Andycole Omollo relishing second chance at World Rugby U20 trophy

Standing at 6 feet and 2 inches with a packed 104kg to his mountainous frame, Kenya’s 19-year-old Andycole Omollo will be a man on a mission when the World Rugby U20 Trophy takes place at the Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi from 15-30 July.

On Wednesday, the lock, who plies his trade with Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology - who were just relegated from the top-flight Kenya Cup after the 22/23 season - was among the six debutants named by head coach Curtis Olago in the final Chipu squad that will represent the country in the eight-team prestigious competition.

With it, came a dream moment for the physically imposing youngster.

Just three months earlier, Omollo was on course to get his maiden callup to the junior rugby side that would play at the 2023 U20 Barthes Trophy that was held in Nairobi in April.

However, that anticipated debut never came to pass as he missed out on the final squad named after a knee injury sustained in one of the team’s buildup games ruled him out on the eve of the continental tournament after a six-week rest was prescribed, crushing his spirit in the process.

“I felt really bad at that moment because the next thing I was told was to go home as my team mates went to camp. All I could do was to watch the matches from the sidelines. It was really painful,” the player narrated to Mozzart Sport.

Despite suffering the setback, Omollo, who started playing rugby in 2019 after joining Chavakali High School in Western Kenya, remained optimistic knowing too well that the U20 Trophy was just around the corner and moaning would not help his course.

“The injury forced me to rest for six weeks, then I had to do rehabilitation for another three weeks. Adapting back to the team was not easy because the structure that we had been using before has been improvised,” he reflected.

But everything ended falling into place and when the head coach stepped up with the final list, he was in.

“Right now, I could not be any happier to represent my country because where I come from I am a mentor to some of the kids who look up to me and say they want to me like me. So this is a dream for me,” he said.

Having already made his Kenya Cup debut in the 2022/2023 campaign where he played four matches against the best rugby players in the country, Omollo, whose role model is Kenya Simbas lock Davis Chenge (KCB RFC) and England’s Maro Itoje (Saracens), now has his eyes on the task that lies ahead having been entrusted with defending the Kenyan flag.

“I am expecting much individually because I know myself well. I have been training well and I am going to give my all to help the team in the tournament,” he said.

Afterwards, the ambitious Kenyan youngster is hopeful that his talent, ideal frame and hard yards being put behind the scenes will help him traverse the globe and rub shoulders with the very best in the game.

“I just don’t want to play in Kenya and my goal to end here. I want to go out there and play against the big teams out there and against the very best players in the world,” the player pursuing Sports Science concluded.

Chipu are in Group B together with Hong Kong China, Samoa and Spain while Group A will feature USA, Zimbabwe Uruguay and Scotland.

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Bio

Name: Andycole Omollo

Date of Birth: 2 May 2004

Education: Chavakali High School (2019-2022), Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology (2022-*)

Role Models: Davis Chenge (KCB & Kenya Simbas), Maro Itoje (Saracens and England)