Paarwater backs Chipu to garner good results in Scotland
.jpg)
Reading Time: 3min | Wed. 19.06.24. | 11:27
He assured that the technical bench was offering all the needed support to the boys to ensure they shine in Scotland
Kenya Rugby Union (KRU) head of 15s program, Jerome Paarwater, is confident that the Kenya U20 national team, Chipu, will surprise teams during the World Rugby U20 Trophy slated for July 2–17 at the Edinburgh Stadium in Scotland.
Chipu, who are the African champions, have been actively training in Nairobi, including joint sessions with the Kenya 15s national team, the Simbas, who are also gearing up for the Rugby Africa Cup to be held in Uganda.
They have been camping at the Kenya Academy of Sports (KAS) with training sessions at Peponi School and the KCB Sports Club in Ruaraka.
In an exclusive interview with Mozzart Sport, Paarwater, who also doubles up as the Simbas’ head coach, noted that the boys were in good shape ahead of the global showpiece.
He assured that the technical bench was offering all the needed support to the boys to ensure they shine in Scotland, noting that they were the future of Kenya Rugby.
Ideally, Chipu is likely to define Kenya's style of play, considering that the current U20 squad could produce future stars. In 2022, for instance, Kenya Simbas had a Rugby World Cup qualifying campaign, first through the African qualifiers and then through the repechage tournament.
_(1).jpg)
Most of the players selected had passed through the Barthes Cup.
In fact, seven out of the 31 players named for the tournament were part of the 2019 squad. They included Samuel Asati, Timothy Omela, Beldad Ogeta, Ian Masheti, and Andrew Simiyu. The team has also been graced with talent in the past, like Martin Owilah, Mike Okombe, Edwin Makori, and Geoffrey Okwach, who have all exhibited great potential.
“I am very happy with the way they are. They did well in Zimbabwe. I spent some time with them before they headed for the African championship. We work closely with Simon and the boys because they are the future of Kenya Rugby and they make us proud in the way they play rugby. It is what we encourage them to do; express themselves and play well,” Paarwater told Mozzart Sport.
The South African gaffer went on to insist on the need for perfection in set pieces in the tournament. He was, however, confident that the training sessions with their elder brothers, the Simbas, addressed some of those issues.
“In this tournament, the set pieces were very important. I was happy with the scrums. One part of the game that I felt we needed to work on was the lineouts. I am happy with the way they are. They spent some time with the Simbas and trained together. There are a few areas they can improve on, but I am generally happy with their performance,” he averred.
With only one day to the naming of the final squad, Paarwater assured that there would be no major changes, unless there were injury concerns. He is aware of the competitive nature of the tournament but expressed confidence that the boys would sparkle.
“There will hardly be any changes, unless there are injuries. It is going to be tough, but they will surprise some teams,” he revealed.
As the African Champions, Chipu are placed in Pool B alongside the USA, Uruguay, and the Netherlands.
In Pool A, hosts Scotland will compete against Japan, Hong Kong, and Samoa. Teams will play in a round-robin format during the group stage to determine the final rankings. The pool leaders will advance to the final, while second-placed teams will compete for the bronze. Third-placed teams will vie for fifth place, and the bottom teams will contest for seventh place.
Chipu will kick off their campaign against Uruguay on Tuesday, July 2, at 4:30 p.m. E.A.T. They will then face the Netherlands on Sunday, July 7, at 9:45 p.m. E.A.T., followed by their final pool match against the USA on Friday, July 12, 2024.
The Chipu squad for the World Rugby Junior Trophy will be announced on Thursday morning, June 20, 2024, and the team will depart for Scotland on Thursday, June 27, 2024.
.jpg)
