Samuel Asati’s remarkable ascent from Shamas Rugby to Kenya’s scrum sensation

In the vast field of Kenyan rugby where power, agility, and fierce determination define the spirit, one name shines brightly as the heartbeat of Kenya rugby’s scrum half: Samuel Asati.

Born on March 14, 1999, the 24- year-old has emerged as a force to be reckoned with, commanding the pitch with his quick thinking, scrum mastery, and relentless passion for the game.

The KCB RFC scrum-half tops the decorated list of Kenya’s scrum-halves including Brian Tanga of Kabras, Brian Wahinya (KCB), Barry Robinson (Kabras), Michael Wanjala (KCB), and former Kenya Simbas Captain Samson Onsomu of Menengai Oilers.

Mozzart Sport had a chat with Asati who reflected on the dusty beginnings of what would be a glittering career.

Asati's early days in rugby

9 is the number he dons.

Asati’s first dot on the rugby pitch appeared in 2012 when he was training under the Shamas Rugby Foundation for another reason other than passion;

“I first got involved with rugby in 2012 under Shamas Rugby Foundation in primary school to get opportunities to be out of school,” Asati recalled.

What sets him apart is that he understands innately the game, having played age-grade rugby through the Shamas Rugby Foundation. He is familiar with the emotions of both winning and losing and understands that in order to be a global icon in the game, part of the winning formula was having fun on the pitch.

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“I played through age grade rugby through the Shamas Rugby Foundation program after joining the high school in Cardinal Otunga High School. Whenever I step into a rugby field it’s always about having fun and making great memories so every moment is cherished and memorable,” Asati said..

While in high school, Asati generated enough attention and it was mutual for not only the school team but also the then Kenya U16 team to keep tabs on him.

“I continued playing making the school team. In form 1, I traveled to South Africa with the school team in 2013 and in 2014 I was called to play for the Kenya U16,” he offered.

It helps when the results tell you it is working too. In 2018, Asati was part of the Kenya U20 team that played in the 2018 Barthes Cup. On that day, Saturday 31 March 2018, Chipu lost 37-18 against Namibia in the finals played at Windhoek’s Hage Geingob Stadium.

That year saw him bump his status up to one of the most important players of his generation. This was after he won the Eric Shirley Shield Cup with KCB Rugby after beating Impala Boks 21-17 in the highly contested finals. What capped an interesting year for the scrum wizard was being named the 2018 Prinsloo 7s Most Promising Player.

Major breakthrough

The youngster’s first match with the Simbas was against Zambia during the 2019 Victoria Cup at the RFUEA Grounds where Kenya won 31-16. He was also part of the squad that lost 20-19 against Senegal during the 2021 Rugby Africa Cup at Nyayo Stadium in September.

His versatile playing skills were evident when he played at position 13 during the 2023 Rugby World Cup qualifier match where Kenya won 42-6 against Zambia. He has since represented Simbas in the Currie Cup matches where the Simbas prematurely ended their campaign at position seven with 12 points.

Training at the Ruaraka Grounds saw him overcome the challenge of training in a country where resources are limited. He credited his coaches and teammates who motivated him to achieve more.

“KCB has better facilities to enable one to compete in the sport and good coaches and teammates who build one to compete with the best,” he revealed.

Achievements

His other major achievements included winning the Man of the Match award in July 2022 after Kenya Simbas whipped Uganda Cranes 42-7 in the Rugby Africa quarterfinal and Algeria 36-33 in the semifinal. He was awarded on both occasions. He has also been rewarded as the Outstanding Back of the Season as well as Impala Floodlit Player of the Final.

Asati knew what he wanted to live up to. As an energetic kid, he saw Michael Wanjala (KCB), Sam Onsomu (Oilers), George Gregan (Australia), and Aaron Smith (New Zealand) as players who defined greatness. He has since lived up to copy-paste their careers to make his own history.

Tintin, as his teammates describe him, disclosed that discipline, hard work, patience, teamwork, and positive thinking are some of the key lessons rugby has taught him so far.

“Discipline, hard work, self-sacrifice, prayers, and making steps of progress on anything you want to achieve will take you places,” he noted.

Samuel Asati's fact file

Name: Samuel Asati

Nickname: TinTin

Clubs: Shamas Rugby Foundation, KCB Rugby

National team debut: 2019 Victoria Cup

Fun fact: Born in Manga Village, Kisii, the birth town of 1972 Olympic 4 by 400m relay gold medalist Charles Asati and Harambee Stars defensive midfielder Duke Abuya.