 |
    |
||||
| contact | |||||
 |
home>>
|
 |
|||
| :: kenya for seven IRB 7s tournaments:. |
Kenya will play in seven tournaments of the International Rugby Board seven-a-side circuit next season. The circuit, which has a total of eight tournaments, kicks off with the Emirates Airlines-sponsored Dubai Sevens from December 3 to 5. Kenya played in three tournaments of the circuit last season. This season, the country will send a team to George (South Africa), Dubai and Hong Kong Sevens before travelling to Paris and London for the final two legs of the circuit. The additional tournaments are a recognition of Kenya’s good run in the last circuit in which they defeated Australia at the Hong Kong Sevens. Kenya finished 10th overall. Their recent achievement was winning the Singer Sri Lanka Sevens where they beat European champions Portugal 15-12 in the final. Coach Bill Githinji has welcomed the additional tournaments. "It means that we have a chance to improve our rankings," he said. Last year, team manager Mark Andere and Githinji argued that Kenya should have been given more tournaments after their giant-killing feats. They questioned the rationale of playing in Hong Kong, which geographically is further than Paris or London. Githinji is confident that with a good pool of 25 players, Kenya could spring more surprises. Former national seven-a-side captain Oscar Osir welcomed the challenge. "It is going to be exciting but a lot of sacrifices will have to be made," he predicted. The national sevens team has a busy schedule that begins with the Nairobi Sevens in November. From then, it will be a hectic programme that also includes the Rugby World Cup qualifiers. Unlike in the last championship, Africa has been divided into two zones with the Northern Zone consisting of Morocco, Tunisia, Nigeria, Cote d’Ivoire and Cameroon. The Southern Zone has Kenya, Uganda, Madagascar, Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Swaziland and Zimbabwe. The venue for the Southern Zone tournament has not been decided although Kenya intends to put in a bid. At the moment, the bone of contention is a clause by the Rugby World Cup Ltd that requires hosts to pay for return air tickets for all the competing teams and also pay for the accommodation. IRB Sevens Circuit Full 2003/04 schedule: – December 3-5 Dubai; December 12-13 George (South Africa); February 6-7 Wellington; February 14-15 Los Angeles; March 26-28 Hong Kong; April 3-4 Singapore; May 28-29 Bordeaux; June 5-6 London send us an article contact the boy |
| ::the boy:: |
| © mindoboy. ........... .............................................................................. [email protected] ............ ................. ................ efax-1-501-636 9507. |