Clubs unhappy with KRU’s decision to cancel season

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AfricaPress-Kenya: The Kenya Rugby Union (KRU) decision to void the 2019-20 season due to the coronavirus pandemic has elicited mixed reactions, with Kabras Sugar coach Henly Du Plessis faulting the move.

KRU, through a statement by Secretary General Ian Mugambi on Thursday, announced that the Kenya Cup, KRU Championship and Nationwide leagues have been cancelled owing to the uncertainty surrounding the crisis caused by the deadly virus which has brought sports activities in the world to a grinding halt.

The decision means there will be no relegation or promotion in any of the three tiers and Du Plessis feels that Kabras, who were touted as favourites for the Kenya Cup trophy, have been dealt a blow in their pursuit for a maiden league title.

Du Plessis’ men had received a bye to the semi-finals after topping the standings during the regular season with 74 points, three ahead of defending champions KCB.

“We are very disappointed. This was the year we were looking forward to lifting the Kenya Cup especially with the investments we made before the season,” he told Standard Sports yesterday.

Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology (MMUST RFC) and Strathmore Leos, who were chasing Kenya Cup promotion, have also cried foul as they deemed the decision unprocedural.

Clubs were reportedly not consulted by the country’s rugby governing body.

“Clubs need to have a say on this matter and as an acting Team Manager during my injury break, we were never involved in anything, unlike during the season where we work hand in hand with the union officials to ensure smooth running of events,” MMUST captain Samuel Mbeche said.

“Some teams have worked hard to get to the top and somebody wants to use boardroom decisions to determine who plays in the top leagues.”

“We had secured home semis and Strathmore Leos too, we had a perfect chance to go to the Kenya Cup this time. The union has to at least try and have a sit down with all the stakeholders and parties involved (clubs) to come to an agreement,” he said.

Mbeche further gave the example of the rugby union in England, where they used a points-per-game method to determine the final standings for the 2019-20 rugby season after it became clear the season would not be completed due to coronavirus pandemic.

“We can’t really promise a replica of the same season again because we are under a university sponsorship who were already impressed with our progress and who knows what can happen if all this is cancelled,” he added.

Strathmore Leos head coach Louis Kisia is against the decision saying: “We had finished the season unbeaten with a maximum of 76 points. It is very unfair for some few individuals in the union to decide to call of the season despite other federations including world federations postponing the scheduled championships and tournaments.”

MMUST and Strathmore had booked home semifinal playoff spots and were poised to fight for promotion to the Kenya Cup.

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