Broke Kenya Rugby Union pull out of Elgon Cup

Cash strapped Kenya Rugby Union has opted out of the annual Elgon Cup pitting Kenya and their noisy rugby neighbors Uganda.

So broke are the KRU that funding a cross border trip to flex against Uganda has become an impossibility.

The erstwhile Union was left with egg in the face earlier this month when they carried around begging bowls to enable the national XV’s side, Kenya Simba’s participate in a World Cup qualifying tournament in France.  

Inability to fund a cross border trip has raised the shame to unprecedented levels for a sport ostensibly governed by learned men and women. One wonders where they will get the strength to sneer at ever begging Football Kenya Federation after this latest national embarrassment.

“Following consultations internally within the Kenya Rugby Union, and with our stakeholders and sponsors, we regrettably will be unable to participate in the Elgon Cup 2022 that was slated for later this month. 

 This is as a result of the prevailing economic conditions in the aftermath of Covid 19 , we are not in a position to confirm our participation in this year’s tournament. 

 Indeed, we do recognize the Uganda Rugby Union as a key stakeholder without whom we would not be able to advance the growth of rugby and regret any inconvenience that the cancellation has caused to player and fans on both sides of the border,” a sorry statement from KRU read

Their Ugandan counterparts reacted by cancelling the event forthwith. In a candid statement of their own, Uganda Rugby Union Secretary Peter Odong explained that the two legged event was only cancelled due to Kenya's financial woes.

"Kenya Rugby Union has informed us that with prevailing conditions and the looming General Elections in their country, they are unfortunately unable to play the cup this year," he asid