KRFU Should Introduce Rugby to Girls Schools
When the Kenya ladies rugby team played their Ugandan counterparts in July of 2005 and lost 58-0, it exposed the gap in class and development between the two countries. This should be particularly embarrassing to any Kenyan rugby fan given that rugby in Kenya is supposedly far more established than it is in Uganda.
To date the KRFU has done absolutely nothing to develop the women's game in Kenya. If one were to ask them why, the response would likely be lack of finances. This however should not be a valid excuse. At the very least, the KRFU should strive to introduce the game to secondary schools all over the country.
Rugby took off among native Kenyans in the mid seventies and was driven by players who were lucky enough to have attended schools like Lenana, Nairobi School, St Mary's and Strathmore. In those days only these few exclusive schools played the sport. Once the students joined colleges, they formed rugby teams at these colleges. Hence Mean Machine RFC and Blak Blad were formed by these students at Nairobi's two Universities. Eventually they left Universities and went on to form the very first self supporting clubs such as Mwamba. Others joined already established , previously exclusive sports clubs like Harlequins and Impala.
In pretty much the same way, if the KRFU were to introduce rugby at local high schools, these girls would then proceed to form rugby clubs at various colleges once they left high school. Eventually they would form self supporting clubs which would become the bedrock of Kenya Ladies rugby. The critical mass of ladies who played the game in secondary schools would then become the fan base. Eventually as the game grew sponsors would come in. Some institutions such as KCB might even sponsor their own club teams.
This is a cost effective way for the KRFU to help boost the game in Kenya. The KRFU must start thinking long term. Rather than come up with excuses of why something cannot be done, they should find ways. Ladies rugby will eventually become an olympc sport and there will eventually be a ladies rugby world cup. And when it does, Kenya should be ready to compete. In fact Kenya stands a better chance of competing in ladies rugby than they do in mens rugby.
One is reminded of how in the 1980s, the Kenya Hockey Union flatly refused to help support a ladies hockey league. Their excuse was the usual "we have no money". But as soon as the ladies organized themselves with zero help from the KHU and created an exteremly succesful hockey league complete with sponsors, Mr Hardev Singh of the KHU was quick to demand the the newly formed Kenya Ladies Hockey Union must fall under KHU. Very ironic when you consider that the KHU had refused to help form a ladies league. One wonders whether the same might happen in rugby.
Over to you KRFU