Coaches react to 2023 Prescott Cup nationals postponement

Different school coaches have expressed displeasure following the postponement of the 2023 Prescott Cup nationals that were set to kick off on Thursday 12 to Saturday 14 at the RFUEA Grounds in Nairobi.

They were all excited for the mini 'World Rugby U20 Trophy' that would bring together a total of 10 schools from across the country's regions. Some schools were already en route to the venue when the news of the event's abrupt postponement broke.

The school games were to serve as a curtain raiser for the much anticipated 2023 Impala Floodlights.

A school like St Mary's Yala was already on their way to the venue when they received the devastating news. The team's tactician, Kenneth Mukok noted that they were past Kisumu town, and were headed to pick up their brothers, Koyonzo High School, but their journey was cut short.

"We got the message when we were in Kisumu. We had planned to travel as two teams; so we had gone to pick Koyonzo. We were reaching Kisumu at around midday, and then a message came to our phones that the tournament had been postponed," Mukok offered.

"We had to stop for lunch and treat the boys to a buoyant meal of ugali with fish, as we schemed on how to break the news to them. We called the principal first and forwarded the message. After lunch, we got them on the bus, and broke the news. It was difficult for them to take in. They were shocked and disappointed. We were equally disappointed, but there are situations we cannot avoid," the eloquent gaffer told Mozzart Sport.

Why 2023 Prescott Cup nationals were postponed

For Coastal region giants Malindi High School, their unexpected delay, which initially seemed like a setback, saved them from the unexpected turn of events.

The Kilifi-based school's coach, Macdonald Lumumba, revealed that they were still sorting out their transportation challenges that had momentarily delayed them before they received the message.

"We were still at school when we received the message. We were still looking for fuel, otherwise we would have been as far as Mtito Andei. We called the students together with the principal and informed them. In future, we should plan earlier especially at the grassroot level, and the finances be centralized in advance. The tour would have cost us Ksh 65,000, and the union was to cater for Ksh. 30,000. It would have been a big loss," Lumumba offered.

Nyanza region champions Kisii High School were just boarding the bus when the news came in. The team's assistant coach Nelvine Nesta said that breaking the news to his charges killed their morale.

"It was hard. They could not believe it. They even thought that it was the school's management that had canceled the tour. They were so unmotivated and did not even come for training yesterday, very sad," Nesta averred.

Addressing the issue, Kenya Rugby Union development officer Dr. Ochieng Ahaya said that the unexpected turn of events was attributed to a significant change in the Ministry of Education's examination schedule. Traditionally, the tournament was held in October, but a shift in the national examination timeline led to a collision between the Prescott Cup and the exam period.

Initially, the three-day championship was supposed to be held at St Mary's Yala, but due to logistical challenges, the teams were forced to play at the RFUEA Grounds.

Speaking on the change of venue, the former Kakamega High School gaffer blamed the situation on the ongoing exams. Hosting the tournament at St Mary's Yala would require accommodation for the away schools, which would inevitably interfere with students sitting for their exams.

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"We realized that no school could host the tournament around Nyanza because all the schools would be involved in exams. It required a situation where some of the schools could be accommodated from far regions. The only option was Nairobi because there is an extension of the accommodation area that does not interfere with the school," Dr. Ahaya explained.

With their priority being to provide a fair and conducive environment for all participating schools, the development officer noted that the new dates would be unveiled in the very new future.

"The secretary will sit down, look at all possibilities, give our input, and we will come up with a day that will accommodate all interests," he concluded.

Prescott Cup is an inter-school competition inaugurated in 1967, with the sole objective being to develop rugby in Kenya at the age-grade level. The inaugural participants of the tournament were Rift Valley Academy, Nairobi School, and Lenana School.