George Ooro and Samuel Asati will retain their roles as captains of the Kenya national rugby sevens team, after the squad was named on Friday at the Rugby Football Union of East Africa for the World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series legs in Montevideo and Sao Paulo.
Speaking during the unveiling, head coach Kevin Wambua remained upbeat after the team finished third in the Nairobi leg, saying his main objective is to help Kenya gain promotion to Division One next season.
“We fell short in Nairobi, but that’s world rugby for you. We have learned from our mistakes and must correct them in Uruguay and Brazil to get better results,” Wambua told journalists.
However, Wambua said his main challenge is convincing the Kenya Rugby Union to allow him to include a reserve player.
“Most teams have up to 15 players, which helps in case of injuries. I only have 13. All I am asking is to have an extra player,” Wambua said, adding that he would prefer Brian Tanga of Kabras Sugar Rugby Club as the reserve because of his international experience.
The squad includes captains George Ooro and Samuel Asati, alongside John Okoth, Dennis Abukuse, Vincent Onyala, Kevin Wekesa, Patrick Odongo, Festus Shiasi, Nygel Amaitsa, Floyd Wabwire, Chrisant Ojwang, David Nyagige and Gabriel Ayimba, with Brian Tanga named as reserve.
Kenya will compete in Montevideo, Uruguay, on March 21–22, before heading to Sao Paulo, Brazil, for the next leg scheduled for March 28–29 this year.
