Asati hails Chipu's Barthes Trophy victory

Chipu were crowned African Under-20 champions after putting up a dominant display to beat Namibia 33-14 in the final on Tuesday evening, completing an impressive campaign in style and reaffirming Kenya’s strength in junior rugby on the continent.

The victory capped a successful tournament for the young Kenyans, who had earlier overcome Zimbabwe 35-21 in the semi-final.

For Asati, who has himself gone through the Under-20 system, Chipu’s performance was particularly encouraging. The Simbas captain was impressed by the tactical awareness, discipline and quality of rugby displayed by the young players.

“We are proud of them. They really played good rugby and seeing them play like that was so thrilling. I was part of the U20s sometime back and we did not play such rugby,” Asati averred. 

“This means they are good and we appreciate what they did. We hope they maintain the momentum. If you see our U20 doing this well, it means Kenyan rugby has a bright future.”

Asati believes the progress of the Under-20 side is a positive indication of the depth being developed within Kenyan rugby, with the current crop of Chipu players potentially forming an important part of the senior national team in the years ahead.

“However, the challenge will be to maintain the momentum, ensure the players continue receiving the right technical and financial support, and create a smooth pathway from the Under-20 ranks to the senior national teams.”

The 2026 triumph adds to Kenya’s previous Barthés Trophy successes in 2019, 2021 and 2024, further cementing the country’s reputation as one of Africa’s leading nations in junior rugby.

Asati’s remarks came during the sealing of a Kshs. 2.5 million partnership between the Kenya Rugby Union and Haco Industries through its Amara brand, with the sponsorship expected to support the Simbas in their training programme.

The KCB RFC player welcomed the growing involvement of corporate partners in Kenyan rugby, saying support from the private sector gives players and teams an added sense of responsibility to deliver results.

“The partnership comes at a crucial period for the Simbas as the national 15s team seeks to strengthen its preparations and rebuild ahead of future international assignments.

“Corporates venturing into sports shows they appreciate what you do. When you see them coming in this early, it challenges us to deliver,” Asati said.

For Asati, the quality displayed by the young players is reason for optimism, particularly as Kenya looks to build a competitive generation capable of sustaining the country’s presence at the highest levels of African rugby.