Odera calls for swift start to Rugby World Cup qualifier preps

Men’s national 15s rugby head coach Paul Odera says Kenya Simbas need to be in training, latest end of January if they are to have a realistic chance of making it to the prestigious Rugby World Cup (RWC).

Kenya came agonizingly close to qualifying to the RWC 2019 and as they head to the quarter final set for July, the tactician believes the team has a real chance of bagging the direct ticket with proper preparations.

“To make sure we have the best players available for the qualifiers, the technical team has come up with a ranking criterion that will help us call to camp the best players the country has in the provisional squad based on statistics. We have a 60-man provisional list that will be released when the federation okays our calendar of events. We have shared our timelines on when we need to be in camp and the kind of preparations needed before July. Time is of the essence and the earlier we get going the better our chances,” said Odera in an interview. 

Currently, Kenya find themselves in the last round of qualifiers for the showpiece set to be held in France in 2023. In order to book a historic place, the Simbas need to win the Rugby Africa Cup 2022 that will also coincidentally take place in France to book their place as Africa 1.

Formatted as a straight knockout competition, Rugby Africa Cup 2022 will include four quarter-finals, two semi-finals and a final, all played in one venue. The winners book a slot at RWC 2023, in Pool A alongside three-time winners New Zealand, hosts France, Italy and the Americas 1 qualifier.

The loser of the Rugby Africa Cup final will still have another chance to qualify for France 2023 via the Final Qualification Tournament, Repechage.

“The proposed training schedule, awaiting the federation’s approval, is having the team together at least three days a week from the end of this month. We purpose to begin with Strength and Conditioning,"

Kenya Simbas maul Zambia to advance to World Cup Qualifying Tournament

He adds; "We will then have a skills camp at the end of January, mid-February, mid-March after Kenya cup and a one-month training camp in April, dependent on whether we are in South Africa or not. We will also target camps in May and June before departure for France,” added Odera.

Simbas will play Uganda Cranes in quarter-final four of the 2022 Rugby Africa Cup that serves as the 2023 RWC qualifier. The other teams that will join the neighbouring East African nations in the quarter finals are Namibia, Cote d’Ivoire, Senegal, Algeria, Zimbabwe and Burkina Faso.

“If we are playing in South Africa, then we will have tournaments from March to June before having a short break back home and back into camp in preparation for departure.” Odera offered.

 Quarter Final Fixtures

QF 1: Namibia vs Burkina Faso

QF 2: Zimbabwe vs Cote d’Ivoire

QF 3: Senegal vs Algeria

QF 4: Uganda vs Kenya