Growing old at this, one day late again. Not to worry. Was digesting a couple of things and mulling them over my mind. Catch 22, the devil's alternative, between the devil and the deep blue sea, damned if you do, damned if you don't. What happens next?
I sympathise with two sets of people. The technical team for the National Sevens Team, as well as the players. At the risk of repeating myself as I have expressed these sentiments before, was watching "The Phantom Movie" last night, for those who cam in late... We have the most experienced team in the IRB circuit. And that should count for something. Unless experience does not matter, or being the best brings in complacency? In the absence of anything better to do, where are the experienced players to go? Or what reason is there to drop them? Why should we bring new blood into the team, if not just for a breathe of fresh air? Is that really what we need? Or to be playing better rugby? These questions keep turning round and round in my head and in the end the conclusion is one.
In the same way we lose players in the transition from schools to clubs, we run the risk of losing quality players who never played any top flight rugby, just for luck of opportunity. In one of my past rambles I said the team that has changed the least this season will win the Kenya Cup, and how does that affect the transition I talk about. Players leaving school think twice about joining such teams as there are owners there. And with few competitive choices available, they tend to fall out. And this in turn will happen at national level. With "owners" in the sevens team, irrespective of who is the coach, I doubt the team would change very much, how does the new player break in? And there I point at my favorite targets. The powers that be need to find higher levels for the "owners" to go to and leave space for the upcoming players. What is amiss? The highest try scorer in last season's circuit easily got a pro contract and may not be playing sevens this season. If our players are such world beaters and have such potential (remember season before we produced the highest try scorer), then why does their game end where it is now? Or are the players themselves afraid of the next step?
Do have a good week and enjoy your rugby.
As an afterthought, it is interesting that in the beginning we were faceless people who knew nothing about rugby, then malicious people out to malign characters and now, well we're moving up in the world. Is our credibility growing? Are we making sense? Do some people not want to hear what we are saying? Interesting...
14 Comments:
..reiterating, if a guy like ollie philips can make it from sevens to being a star player for stade francais, we need to really raise some questions.......sevens is meant to be a pathway but it seems like we arent taking advantage of this exposure to better our training, conditioning, skills e.t.c guys are still throwing high school bounce passes, some players cannot properly pass from both sides
True true 7s shld be a MEANS and not an END. Looks like its becoming an end for the Mwamba 4, who if you ask me shld be playing pro now.
Collo lost it by rejecting the Sharks proposal. I can bet he regrets.
Passing is so basic a reqmt in rugby that if you cant pass to both sides properly you are headed nowhere esp as a back, which really is what our 7 players are.
I personally don't care if its Omwela or Sabwa who blogs. Forget the messenger, the message is what matters. Keep blogging- i wish you could ignore the face speculators.
collo tried for a Western Province contract (not Sharks). 7s being a means and not an end is old news. the difference is that, at the moment, it pays more to be a 15s player. as soon as 7s will begin paying as much all these arguments will evaporate. most pro players think this way
The day 7s starts paying more than pro 15s (close to impossible occurrence) my friend you will be shocked. Assuming this unlikely outcome, the likes of Collo will not even have a chance. Pro 15s players will move to sevens. Imagine Habana, JP, steyn and co against our very experienced 7s team. TRAGIC!
Anon 10.10am, maybe you haven't been following the 7s game closely enough. The time of the 7s specialist has come. Read http://www.rwcsevens.com/men/news/newsid=2029941.html#arise+sevens+specialist
and starmer-smith on http://www.irb.com/irbsevens/columnist/newsid=2040481.html so hopelessly plagiarised here without credit. in particular the quote:
"... Things have changed and top 15s players do not instantly become transformed into top Sevens specialists - the games and the player qualities required are so different today. Sevens has been a great springboard in helping to create All Blacks - 36 to date including most recently Cory Jane, Messam, Rene Ranger and Israel Dagg - BUT THERE'S NO PATHWAY IN THE OTHER DIRECTION (my emphasis). Had I been a New Zealand selector, I would have been loathe to exclude, for example, Julian Savea and Solomon King from my Delhi squad..."
IMO, collo would eat alive these guys you are talking about in 7s (maybe not in 15s but certainly in 7s).
Dataminer, faceless people don't climb to anywhere. Be comfortable in your place in the gutter. You may get too close to the sun like that real ripoff in Kenya's Rugby - Ministry of Rugby. Eating and entertaining themselves, in more ways than one, in the name of players. Now organising another ripoff in the name of Elliptic Awards. Anyway, what's to be expected of perennial uni students Arigi and Tonyango?
The same people calling us faceless, cannot leave their real names on the blog. And they also expect to be listened to... lmao!
Ripoff has Impala written all over him.
You are basically asking the Ministry of rugby to stop ripping off people so you can monopolies the business of ripping of Kenya rugby.
Anon 3.24pm. What has Impala ripped from you (except many trophies over time)? You must be the same idiot I spoke to earlier. Which is your Club so that we can compare pedigree? Fool!
PayperView Development Manager does his buziness on facebook in the rugby develepment.
so freakin' what anonymous 4.45pm?
for me it's not who pays more, but what else for the players.. they are bored actually..
I thot collo was asked to bulk up before he could play for W.P???
as much as people hate on impala(am not a fan either) we have to find a way to improve our rugby and benchmark ourselves say with germany or spain who both are ranked higher than us.
Lets get to improve kenyan rugby instead of this endless mud slinging.
Solutions please.
Love rugby live rugby
no. 7
You know we are all after the good of the game. We are talking same things. good points and allot of bullshit.
My bullshit/points,
Mwamba 4 are good because for 3yrs now they have been exposed to better competition. They are not the best we have. I can name you 3 better players in the positions they play, if they were exposed the same way Kenya would be far.
The reason why Collo dint make it to WP is simple, they (Mwamba 4) are very poor 15s players. case in point Quins vs Mwamba. Collo Vs Abouga. if you were a selector watching that game who will you pick. Abuoga 2tries both on opposite man, 2conversions and a penalty.
Sudi vs Horace. We cant even discuss that here as Horace can only take in the ball and 15s requires one to have alot of extra specialist skills.
Tall vs Ambunya. Ambunya made Tall the whole day, broke on his inside, outside and under. plus he played rugby, rucked, defended, carried more etc. despite tall scoring a try, the last 30min he was walking behind th defense just to avoid the young Kid and catch a breath so that he could score try ya machozi.
Sevens has an expiry date for all players, thats why you have to progress. Very had to go back from 15s to 7s because sevens is a running game and 15s is a rugby game.
Ministry of rugby have done something that the union has failed 'build loyal fans'. Sad thing is that it has been build on murky waters. on players had work and achievements with no direct help to them. but the only positive is that they have increased rugby fans so the union should take advantage and use them also to secure sponsorship. of course when i say use i dont mean partnering i mean use use.
regards
mamapima
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