A Clear Starlit Night

No breeze in the air
No rain falling
Not a cloud in the sky
Just a clear starlit night.

Makes me look afar
Makes me wonder a lot
Makes want to really know
What this year will bring.

A good crop
A bumper harvest
A whole lot of food
The drought left behind us.

To remember the past
To remember our deeds
To remember the cause
Of what really happened.

Lest we ignore
Lest we forget
Lest our minds wander
Attention we will soon pay.

Where we were
Where we are
Where we are going
We all want to know.

Our people of yore
Our people of old
Our people always said
The stars hold the future.

So, what does 2010 hold for Rugby in Kenya. That the game of rugby has grown in leaps and bounds in not in doubt. That rugby is currently the most popular sport is not in doubt. That rugby is currently the most successful team sport is not in doubt. And what does that mean, to a layman like me?

Increased interest in the sport means increased spotlight on the sport. I'm a firm believer in learning from the past, and from what others do.... save us re-inventing the wheel.. so to speak! So how does the past affect our future? It's simple. Everyone now wants to be involved in rugby, in one way or the other. Where have we seen this before? Cricket? Basketball? Hockey? Soccer? Take your pick. People will now be involved in whatever way they can. Simply the last 3 months has shown us what to expect. Tusker's pulling out of the Elgon cup caused them to also lose the Safari Sevens. They also lost out on the sevens team and with foot firmly in mouth, forked out #$@ knows how much to sponsor the live transmissions and replays of the IRB Sevens circuit on SuperSport! Things to come... the grapevine has it they want back into rugby so we wait and see.

Who else wants to be involved? Looking at other sports, it is now only a matter of time. I foresee the independent clubs continuing where they left off last season by attracting huge sponsorships. Those willing to keep an arm's length will do it this way. The next thing we will see is more corporate teams being formed and joining KCB. I feel they are all looking for ways in and the likes of Mumias, Oserian and maybe even Tusker themselves come to mind (Homeboyz are already in the fray, I think). And what does that mean?

Ominous signs for me here. Is it going to be the death of self supporting clubs like Nondies, Quins and Mwamba... even if only for a while like the soccer teams of AFC Leopards and Gor Mahia? It is clear that the institutional sides will come in with more money and hence perhaps attract most of the better players to them! And this may lead to declining performances by the hitherto "best sides". I just don't know. The positive side to me is that we will finally be finding a place for the 150+ players produced by the schools system every hear.

Do have a good year and let's keep the dialogue going.