Opportunity for emerging players as national U18 team makes a resounding return

Kenya Rugby Union (KRU) Chairman Sasha Mutai has announced that the national Under 18 team has been revived in a bid to nurture young talent and elevate the nation’s rugby prowess from the grassroots level to the international stage.

The selection process drew talent from the recently concluded Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association's (KSSSA) Rugby 15's games in a concerted effort to identify and groom the next generation of rugby stars.

The KRU development department will spearhead the move under the leadership of Ronald Okoth and Kenya U-18 coach Paul Odera.

In an exclusive interview with Mozzart Sport, the chairman noted that they were leaving no stone unturned in utilizing talents nationwide. This comes on the heels of competitive KSSSA games where All Saints Embu were crowned the winners after dethroning defending champions Butula 12-10.

“I am very impressed by the talent on display. I am impressed that the All Saints beat the reigning champions Butula. It is in the public domain that talent comes from Western, but now we can see Eastern is also a powerhouse. This year, we will have a Kenya U18 team for the first time in many years. That will be coached by Paul Odera,” Mutai confirmed.

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Mutai further said that they were keen on ensuring a seamless transition of players from school rugby to club engagements and ultimately representing the nation on the international stage.

He noted that they were emulating Zimbabwe’s age-grade structure as their model for success. Regarding that, he disclosed that the coaches and scouts had picked the players who would be part of the team, expressing optimism that Kenya would go back to its rugby glory days.

The final team will play in international tournaments in Zimbabwe and the 2027 World Cup.

“We have scouted, and we have the database. These players will be part of the U20 team going to Zimbabwe. We are looking at taking over Africa. Zimbabwe’s age-grade system has been running well, and we want to copy that. In a year or two, we will be reigning champions in Africa.

We will have a good number of players to join Chipu. The future is very bright for us. We are looking at the 2027 World Cup, and these players will participate. Many of these players will also be scouted and get scholarships to study abroad,” he concluded.

This year’s Rugby Africa U20 Barthes Trophy will run from April 20–28 in Harare, Zimbabwe.

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