Jerome Paarwater offers update on Kenya Simbas ahead of UAE clash
Reading Time: 3min | Wed. 21.05.25. | 12:22
The match will also serve as a valuable tune-up for the UAE, who are preparing for the Asian Cup later this year
Kenya Simbas head coach Jerome Paarwater has offered a detailed update on the national 15s rugby team's preparations ahead of their crucial build-up clash against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) scheduled for Saturday, 24 May at the RFUEA Grounds in Nairobi.
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The friendly match, which will double as a final selection test, comes at a pivotal moment as the Simbas intensify their readiness for a month-long high-performance tour in South Africa.
The match will also serve as a valuable tune-up for the UAE, who are preparing for the Asian Cup later this year.
The Simbas are currently in camp, where Paarwater is working with a squad of 50 players. From this group, 33 will be selected for the South African tour.
According to the coach, the camp has focused not only on physical conditioning but also on building tactical cohesion.
“We started with week one, and a lot of guys had not played rugby for a while, so we had to build it up from Monday, testing fitness levels with a lot of running,” Paarwater told Scrummage Africa.
As the week progressed, the team began engaging in technical drills, including split sessions for scrums, lineouts, and backline plays.
By Wednesday, the coaching staff introduced structured team play, especially crucial for the new additions to the squad.
“After almost every session, we explained to the guys how to improve and what went wrong. Then Thursday was a resting day, and we did video sessions so they could understand everything more clearly,” he said.
The UAE match will provide one last chance for fringe players to prove themselves before the final squad is named on Monday, 26 May.
The team is expected to fly out to South Africa on Wednesday, 28 May, marking the start of a vital preparation phase ahead of the 2024 Rugby Africa Cup (RAC).
“I'm very happy with what we’ve achieved in camp. This game against the UAE is important because we still have a large squad, and it will help us narrow it down to the final 33,” the South African tactician said.
Their South African itinerary includes a second phase of the camp in Nylstroom from Sunday, 22 to Friday, 27 June, where they will link up with the Blue Bulls’ Currie Cup squads.
The Kenyan side is scheduled to face off against the Bulls on both Tuesday and Thursday that week, an experience that will elevate their game ahead of the Rugby Africa Cup.
The winner of the Rugby Africa Cup will secure direct qualification to the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia, while the runner-up heads to the pre-repechage playoff.
Kenya’s World Cup dream has been a long pursuit. In 2022, they came within touching distance before falling to Namibia in the final. A year later, they slipped to fourth place after a narrow 20-12 loss to Algeria in the third-place playoff.
But with the 2027 tournament expanding from 20 to 24 teams, the Simbas know their window of opportunity is wide open, if they can rise to the challenge.
“We must not forget, we had alignment camps from January. The guys are fit because of the Kenya Cup, and we’ve managed to blend structure with game time. We’re on the right path,” Paarwater assured.
