Upper Hill coach fires warning ahead of KSSSA national rugby 7s games

Upper Hill School’s rugby 7s head coach James Mwangi has sent a stern warning to their opponents ahead of the Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association [KSSSA] nationals set for August 8-12 at the Kakamega High School.

The Nairobi-based team qualified for the nationals after edging Lenana High School 14-12 in the closely contested regional final. Despite losing, Lenana will also be representing Nairobi region in the nationals.

Mwangi said, reviewing every game and correcting mistakes won them the Nairobi region rugby 7s title.

“During our campaign at the Nairobi County games, our performance was not that bad because after every game we would review our mistakes and improve on the upcoming game,” he offered

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The former Upper Hill and Kaya Tiwi halfback has been a man on a mission as he led the team to reach the quarterfinals in the nationals in his first year at the helm. They fell in the hands of Butula Boys last year.

This year, they will be keen to build-up on their performance and reclaim the title they last won in 2016.

Mwangi also disclosed that the boys have been sharpening various facets of the game to further boost their chances of carrying the coveted title.

“We have been working on our defense pattern and retaining our kickoff. Practice makes perfect,” Mwangi noted.

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Speaking the challenges, Mwangi noted that the boys had an uphill task in dealing with pressure from the strong teams.

“The pressure to perform at the highest level can be intense during a major tournament. Players may experience heightened expectations from themselves. Dealing with pressure while maintaining focus and confidence can be mentally challenging,” he told Mozzart Sport.

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Despite that, he assured that his charges were ready to impress come next week. They will be facing teams’ from every region in the country apart from the North Eastern region.

“The team is ready for the few days to come and play at the national level. Players have the plans that they are going to use their individual skills to perform,” he added.

North Eastern will not have rugby representatives and therefore their slots were given to the host region. Western will field four teams; Koyonzo, Vihiga, Bungoma and Kimobo Boys.