Kenya U20 head coach reveals selection criteria ahead of Barthes Cup title defense
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Reading Time: 3min | Thu. 13.03.25. | 17:42
However, Jawichre emphasized that their approach to selection extends beyond immediate success, with a long-term vision of nurturing future Kenya Simbas players
Kenya U20 men's rugby head coach Simon Jawichre has shed light on the meticulous selection process undertaken to assemble the squad set to defend the Barthes U20 Trophy, scheduled for Thursday 17 to Saturday 27 April 2025.
Chipu, as the team is fondly known, will be looking to retain their title after a commanding 28-13 victory over Zimbabwe’s Junior Sables in last year’s final.
However, Jawichre emphasized that their approach to selection extends beyond immediate success, with a long-term vision of nurturing future Kenya Simbas players.
“I started going round to clubs. This year, the focus has been on those who are actively playing. We have had interactions with the Kenya Simbas, and the focus was to feed off the Simbas.
Luckily, we had two trips to Western and I have been involved in the U20 program, so I have gone and seen some guys,” Jawichre offered.
His involvement as head coach of Kenya Rugby Union (KRU) Championship side Catholic University of East Africa (CUEA) Monks also provided him with firsthand access to emerging talents in the lower-tier leagues.
“With our interaction with the Kenya Cup coaches, we have gone round and seen some games and being part of the technical bench in a team that plays Championship, I have also played several teams in the tier and we have seen the talent,” he explained.
The selection process officially concluded in February once Rugby Africa confirmed the Barthes Cup dates. From that point, the focus shifted to assembling a formidable squad.
“This culminated last month when we got the dates for the Barthes Cup which means we start from April 19. After getting the dates, things were kickstarted, and we did our deliverables to the Kenya Rugby Union and we were given an okay to start assembling people,” he disclosed.
Unlike last year’s open trials that saw over 200 hopefuls turn up, this time, clubs forwarded names of their standout U20 players.
As a result, 80 players attended the initial selection camp on Thursday 27 February, where they underwent rigorous medical and fitness assessments. After a period of assessments, the Nairobi region squad was trimmed to 25.
“Two weeks ago, we invited just about 15 players, and we made the coaches and those running teams aware that they could bring the talent that they thought could hack it.
We had 80 guys appear on the 27th, we had admin check on the guys, we also had some medical checkups with the same, and then we went through some skills and assessments, and we came up with a list of about 25 players, but they were just Nairobi guys,” he offered.
The Nairobi-based squad then traveled to Nakuru, where they trained alongside players from Rift Valley at the Menengai Oilers facility.
“On top of that, we have guys we have seen from out there in Nakuru so last week, we had a camp from where we mixed those coming from Nairobi and its environs with those coming from Rift Valley,” he averred.
With the selection process now finalized, the team is intensifying preparations as they aim to successfully defend their title in the continental showpiece.
