Looking in from Outside!
Very many factors influence your vision. The presence of blinds or curtains. The tint on the windows. The angle of the sunlight. Placement of furniture in the room. And placement of the what you actually want to see in the room. So you ask, what am I trying to see?
Purely as an outsider, who's only interest is in the game, the welfare of the players, the welfare of the clubs, and Rugby in Kenya in general, I am trying to discern our development agenda for the game in Kenya. Other than the fact that we are purely focused on sevens and believe it will be our call to fame, we do not seem to be doing anything much. We do not have a sustained plan to improve the overall being of rugby in the country and seem merely content to boot lick and ego stroke. Maybe I am being too harsh here.
The International Rugby Board as usual also has a role to play in all this. By insisting that most of our development funding is directed to youth and women's rugby, this does not do good for rugby in general. For countries with well developed rugby structures and that are predominantly biased towards male adult rugby players, it would make sense to focus on these areas, to diversify the game and to ensure that there is proper structure at the grassroot level to sustain safe, organised and effective play at the top. But that only works if you have a top! For a country with a top league of only 8 teams, a second division of roughly double, composed of mainly second teams of the top eight teams, that does not talk of much structure. And if sevens be the route to fifteens, the large number of teams ready and willing to play in the sevens circuit is amazing... but that is only five weeks out of the year. What do these teams do during the rest of the year? And with the current push to increase the playing of rugby in primary schools as well, we are looking at a huge attrition rate. Simple math in any language will tell you this does not add up. And with our KRFU keen on spending money to develop facilities to host a world class event, instead of investing in the very clubs that make up the union, the numbers keep dancing. And that remains a pipe dream. Speaking of facilities, anyone who went for the Harambee Stars vs. Super Eagles clash would have been pleased by what they got for their Ksh. 600. A SEAT, in comfort, a good view of the entire pitch, a toilet not more that two minutes walk away and an experience to remember. Contrast that with your Ksh. 900.00 for Safari Sevens? But I digress as usual.
Looking in from outside, is it only me who finds it strange that the entire development department is manned by a team of more or less incompetents? That the head of the department is more keen on furthering the fortunes of one club is to me a clear conflict of interest. Equipment donated by the IRB (the real one that is) for use by the union has on several occasions been taken up by this club not to mention the machinations and under hand dealings that take place at board and union secretariat level to "favour" this club. The most recent case would be interesting as it involved tampering with "independently" produced material to ensure a member of the club got a favorable ruling at a disciplinary hearing! Would such leeway be allowed to another club, or they get the opportunity?
But I digress again. Having watched some of the mini-rugby and other sessions, it is sad that that is what we are doing. Churning out numbers of no quality. Please note, the head of the department has never ever coached any rugby team of note in the country, and the entire department consists of the same! And what that shows me is that we are just churning out numbers, of low quality, and high quantity. If you do not know what ails rugby at the senior level, then what are you imparting in these players? And as a parting shot, what do all the former coaches of the national teams do, since we are so good at dumping them? Is there no way we can use them in some "grand national development plan"?
10 Comments:
Do explain how the accounts were passed at the SGM. This is a story we would all love to hear. I hear the directors/employees are now scrambling for free tickets and allowanzes of KQ
kazi bure hao, hehe i thought when safari sevens was started yrs ago it was mainly to raise the funds to take the game to new heights locally, 13yrs later not a single player gets anything substantial out of playing rugby
I disagree. One always builds from bottom up not from top down. If you don't develop rugby at the grassroots then how will the 'top' be sustained. IRBs responsibility is development not sustenance therefore it is right to insist on it's development money being spent on developing women's and junior rugby. KRFU and clubs need to source money to build clubs and the national teams. That is not IRBs responsibility.
My friend, you miss my point. My point is what is the union doing.. not what is IRB doing?
Think your attack on the in charge of development is unwarranted and lacks merit.Saying that a particular club that he supports as a fan has profited materially or otherwise is foolish and utter rubbish.We would wish that after condemning, you would have made concrete ideas of how to improve in areas say like finances, player and club welfare's and so on...just uttering things without knowing what goes on in the ground is least bit malicious.
Hence the sub-title of my post. Looking in from outside! That's what it looks like to me..
Oh, and my suggestions are many and come freely... just go through my posts.
Let me try to justify and warrant the comment on the development manager.
Material and other benefits can take a myriad of shapes and forms. Just visit impala kit stores and find out how many kits and training materials have been received as donations from the union. Yes they deserve this materials and kits but surely it’s not for them alone and why they have the first rights to such is puzzling. Twas a miracle to see a struggling upcountry outfit Siaya RFC get a set of kit. Look at the development managers attempts to manipulate refereeing allocations and decisions in favor of impala, and trying to cast aspersion on the competence of some referees due to their apparent lack of bias off and on the pitch, his incessant push for the agenda’s of the impala loyalist and KCB hating, match fixing ref extraordinaire. Look at the talk, hear and see no evil stance when impala defies the national team requirements of player release and non engagement in league fixtures, and his underhand push for strange anticipatory fining of Mwamba for unspecified offences. Look at his alacrity to rabidly participate and provide input to Ugandan clubs and impala via their facebook groups and discussion forums input which though mainly unsolicited is excellent rugby development related advice whilst offering none of the same unsolicited input to our local club pages and begrudgingly providing such after massive red tape and repeated prompting.
Let me try to justify and warrant the comment on the development manager.
Material and other benefits can take a myriad of shapes and forms. Just visit impala kit stores and find out how many kits and training materials have been received as donations from the union. Yes they deserve this materials and kits but surely it’s not for them alone and why they have the first rights to such is puzzling. Twas a miracle to see a struggling upcountry outfit Siaya RFC get a set of kit. Look at the development managers attempts to manipulate refereeing allocations and decisions in favor of impala, and trying to cast aspersion on the competence of some referees due to their apparent lack of bias off and on the pitch, his incessant push for the agenda’s of the impala loyalist and KCB hating, match fixing ref extraordinaire. Look at the talk, hear and see no evil stance when impala defies the national team requirements of player release and non engagement in league fixtures, and his underhand push for strange anticipatory fining of Mwamba for unspecified offences. Look at his alacrity to rabidly participate and provide input to Ugandan clubs and impala via their facebook groups and discussion forums input which though mainly unsolicited is excellent rugby development related advice whilst offering none of the same unsolicited input to our local club pages and begrudgingly providing such after massive red tape and repeated prompting.
Just a fan.. thanks for that. Let the people speak!
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