KSSSA: Former Barbarian breathing life into rugby in Kilifi
Reading Time: 3min | Thu. 11.04.24. | 17:27
He foresees a future where Kilifi will boast of teams in top-tier competitions like the Kenya Cup
First, if you are unfamiliar with the term, a Barbarian is an esteemed alumnus of Kakamega High School, a school known for its academic and sporting excellence.
The school has given birth to some of the country's best coaches and rugby administrators.
They include Kenya Harlequin's coach Paul Murunga, Kenya Rugby Union (KRU) Director of Development, Dr. Ochieng Ahaya, Administration Police coach Oscar Okaron, former Kenya 7s player Alvin Ochieng, Martin Mukolwe among others.
Joining the list is Erick Atitwa, who tutors the Marafa High School rugby team.
Mozzart Sport caught up with Atitwa who opened up on what it takes to grow the sport in Kilifi.
Under his tutelage, Marafa High School defied the odds to reach the national stage where they met stronger opponents from different regions.
As he explained demystifying the sport in the Coastal region was not a walk in the park.
His team started with a 17-3 loss to Mang'u High School before going down 37-3 to Lenana in the second pool match. They will face Eastern Kenya champions Kitondo in the final pool match.
Despite the heavy losses suffered at the hands of Mang’u and Lenana, Atitwa is satisfied with the performance of his boys and the team's growth.
"Marafa is surrounded by so many hills. We do a lot of conditioning on the hills and we work out. Besides class, they are up by 3 - 5 am physical work. 4 - 6 pm we do skill work which makes us perform better," he said.
Atitwa opened up some of the challenges he has been facing down at the coast, as far as preparing the team is concerned.
He said the players relied on training and did not get enough avenues to weigh their skills. He insisted on the need for pre-season matches and friendlies.
"The challenge is the lack of pre-season matches. We are not able to compete in friendlies due to financial strain. That pulls us back," he explained.
The coach further called for more age-grade tournaments in the coastal region to expose the youngsters to high-level competitions. He reiterated the need to grow the sport from as early as Primary School.
"We also need more age-grade tournaments. We should take rugby back to Primary School so that kids can start playing from as early as 6-8 years," he offered.
He foresees a future where Kilifi will boast of teams in top-tier competitions like the Kenya Cup.
"In the next 3-5 years, this school is going to be a powerhouse. We have learnt our lessons from these nationals," he revealed.
He was coached by Dr. Ahaya when Kakamega High School won the KSSSA national rugby 15s title in 2002.
His CV also includes leading the team to the 2023 Prescott Cup finals which were unfortunately postponed at the eleventh hour.
