Africa-Press – Kenya. Kenya Simbas’ proposed training trip to South Africa has been shelved owing to a lack of finances.
The team requires a minimum of Sh30 million for a three-week intensive training camp in Cape Town.
Kenya Simbas team manager, Jimmi Mnene, said the team will instead have a 10-day training camp in readiness for the repechage slated for November 6- 18 in Dubai.
Mnene said the 10-day training camp will take place in Nairobi from October 17-26 with the final 30-man squad being named on the final day of the camp before departure to the Middle East.
He said the proposed training camp in South Africa would have been excellent, owing to the nature of the opposition they are facing in Dubai.
“It’s out of our control and there is nothing much we can do. The union has done everything possible to no avail and we have to soldier on and plan accordingly for the repechage,” added Mnene.
The team has so far done three training camps to work on their fitness and address some of the tactical deficiencies which were evident during the Africa Cup qualifiers in France in July.
“The training camps have been vital. We have looked at all areas of our game and we are already working on them in readiness for the repechage” said Mnene.
Despite the setback of not traveling for the training camp, Mnene said the team is upbeat and relishing the challenge. “We had sat down with the boys and explained our position and they are ready for the repechage,” he added.
The Simbas have been pitted against the battle-hardened USA, who are 19th in the latest World Rugby rankings, Portugal (2o) Hong Kong (22) and Kenya (33).
The Simbas will start their campaign against the USA on November 6 before facing Portugal on November 12 and the final match against Hong Kong on November 18.
The winner of the round-robin pool slots into Pool C of the Rugby World Cup next year, where two-time champions Australia, Wales, Georgia, and Fiji await.
The Simbas do not have fond memories of the last repechage in 2018 having lost all three matches against Canada (65-19), Hong Kong (42-17 ) and Germany (43-6).
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