By OUR CORRESPONDENT
National Under 20 rugby coach Simon Jawichire has named an unchanged team for the World Rugby Junior Trophy taking place from 2-17 July 2024.
Chipu, the Kenya U20 squad that won the Rugby Africa U20 Barthes Trophy in April will now head out to Scotland.
The squad, which features nine returning players from the 2023 World Rugby Junior Trophy hosted in Nairobi namely Geylord Ngasi, Andycole Omolo, Iddo Kuta, Wycliffe Ogutu, Nathan Tsindoli, Patrick Wainaina, Faran Juma , Michael Wamalwa and James Olela will depart for Scotland on Thursday 27 June 2024.
Jawichre said: “Looking back since the Barthes Trophy, we really wanted our guys to play in the (Rugby) Super Series. A few made it there but quite a number trained without playing.”
“We’ve had two camps after the Super Series with one on our own but we actually had the opportunity to face off with KCB as they were training for the Enterprise Cup. The second week we put ourselves up against the Simbas (the Kenya men’s fifteens senior team) where we had joint sessions together,” he noted.
He added: “These sessions helped our boys. It brought up to speed, especially on the mental side of things. When I look at them physically, there’s a few niggly things from the Super Series but all coming in good, they’re coming into shape.
The squad going is basically pegged on what we had in Harare. We just wanted to enhance those who were down in one area or another and we focused on just giving them clarity and getting their roles right. To all our stakeholders,KRU, our families, supporters near and wide, pray for us…keep us in prayer and support us in whichever other way you can.”
Chipu are in Pool ‘B’ of the tournament and will start their campaign against Uruguay on Thursday 2 July and Netherlands on Sunday 7 July. They will complete their group fixtures with a match against the USA on Friday 12 July.
This is Chipu’s fourth appearance at the tournament, having previously featured in 2009 (Nairobi), 2019 (Brazil) and 2023 (Nairobi).
The winner of this tournament qualifies for the 2025 World Rugby Junior Championship.
Chipu Squad | World Rugby Junior Trophy 2024 | Jul 2-17 | Edinburgh,Scotland
Darrel Oluoch, Ian Nyandusi, Bramwel Mate, Brian Shile, Geylord Ngasi, Hafidh Mohammed, Eugene Etali, Cleyn Okumbi, Andycole Omolo, Eddy Otieno, Iddo
Kuta, Wycliffe Ogutu, Nathan Tsindoli, Willy Tino, Edmond Omondi, Patrick Wainaina, Benedict Muiruri, Faran Juma, Philip Okeyo, Alvin Khavoli, Brian Kiptoo, Dennis Ndayala, Kipchirchir Bett, Elvis Otete, Eugene Ojiambo, Jackson Siketi, Michael Wamalwa, and James Olela.
NON TRAVELLING RESERVES: Jeremy Namiti, John Asega, Jeff Maina, Rogers Omanyi.
MANAGEMENT Simon Jawichre (Head Coach), Qondani Katywa, (Assistant Coach), Kenny Andola (Assistant Coach), Williams Motto (Strength and Conditioning Coach), Philip Wamae (Team Manager), Wacera Githua (Assistant Team Manager), Aysha Omar (Team Doctor), and Samuel Ochieng (Physio).
