Former Kenya Sevens coach slams Morans for overlooking Harlequin stars
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Reading Time: 3min | Mon. 23.06.25. | 15:33
The Morans eventually finished fourth in the competition after losing the third-place playoff to Zimbabwe
Former Kenya Sevens head coach Paul 'Pau' Murunga has hit out at the Kenya Morans technical bench for overlooking players from Kenya Harlequin, despite the club’s dominant 2024 National Sevens Circuit campaign.
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Murunga, who led Harlequin to their first National Sevens Circuit title since 2012, questioned why not a single Quins player was selected in the Morans squad that recently competed in the Africa Men’s 7s tournament in Mauritius.
“I do not understand why out of 24 players who featured and won the Ingo 7s, Driftwood 7s, and the overall 7s circuit, none of them made it to either the Shujaa or Morans team,” the tactician lamented in a Facebook post.
Harlequin’s 2024 campaign was a picture of consistency. They reached five semi-finals and bagged titles at both the Driftwood 7s and Ingo 7s. Their efforts saw them top the standings with 109 points, edging out Kabras RFC, who finished on 105.
The title marked Quins’ fourth overall Sevens Circuit win, adding to their triumphs in 2005, 2006, and 2012.
Murunga insisted that national team selection should be based on current form, regardless of club affiliations.
“National team players are selected from clubs. Any outstanding player in the local league deserves a call-up. If a player is on form, he is on form at that particular time, give him a chance,” he said.
He pointed to the structure of other national teams to emphasise his argument.
“Kenya Simbas has a majority of players from Kabras, KCB, and Oilers. They’re the top teams in 15s. Kenya Lionesses have performed extremely well this past season in both 7s and 15s; the majority of their players come from Impala, Mwamba, and Northern Suburbs.
You cannot cheat in sports. Performance will always expose you,” he said.
Murunga was also critical of the Morans’ performance in Mauritius, where they lost 14-10 to Madagascar in the semifinals despite their opponents picking up two yellow cards, which culminated in a red.
“That Madagascar team with two yellow cards? Kenya Harlequin would have beaten them 38-0,” he wrote.
The Morans eventually finished fourth in the competition after losing the third-place playoff to Zimbabwe. While this marked an improvement from last year’s sixth-place finish, Murunga maintained that more could have been achieved with a fairer selection approach.
Murunga’s coaching résumé is as extensive as it is impressive. He was appointed Quins' head coach in May 2022, and he oversaw the club’s return to the top, lifting the 2024 National Sevens Circuit title as well as the Driftwood 7s, Ingo 7s, and the Mwamba Cup.
His tenure also saw him honoured with the Kenya Harlequin Spirit of Rugby Shield at the 2023 annual club dinner.
Beyond the pitch, Murunga championed structural changes at Quins, including the launch of a women’s team and the establishment of age-grade rugby programs.
He boasts a decorated coaching career that spans over a decade and includes both club and national team stints.
He began as an assistant coach at Homeboyz Rugby Club between 2009 and 2011 before being elevated to head coach, a role he held until 2018.
During this time, he also worked with various national age-grade sides, coaching Kenya’s Under-20, Under-19, and Under-18 teams from 2012 to 2014.
In 2014, he served as the assistant coach of the Kenya Simbas, the national men's 15s rugby team, and later took on the role of Kenya Sevens development coach from 2015 to 2016.
Murunga’s leadership earned him the position of head coach of the Kenya Sevens team from 2018 to 2020. In 2022, he took charge of Kenya Harlequin, guiding them through a rebuilding phase until 2025, while also doubling as the Kenya Lionesses head coach from 2023 to 2024.
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His qualifications include World Rugby Level II and Level I coaching certifications, match officiating credentials, and strength and conditioning certification. Beyond rugby, he is also a trained Class Three Physics Instructor.
