KRU pins future of Kenya Simbas on Chipu stars

Following their heartbreak in failing to qualify for the 2027 Men’s Rugby World Cup in Australia, the Kenya Rugby Union (KRU) has unveiled an ambitious rebuilding plan for the national men’s 15s rugby team, the Simbas.

The strategy focuses on blending seasoned veterans with fresh talent from the Kenya Under-20 squad, Chipu, who recently clinched the 2026 Barthés Trophy with a dominant 33–14 victory over Namibia in Uganda.

Kenya’s World Cup aspirations were shattered at the 2025 Rugby Africa Cup in Uganda where the Simbas suffered a narrow 29–23 semi-final defeat to eventual champions Zimbabwe, before falling 15–5 to Algeria in the third-place playoff to finish fourth.

Zimbabwe went on to edge Namibia 30–28 in the final to secure Africa’s sole direct qualification spot for the expanded 24-team tournament in Australia.

Speaking on Wednesday in Kasarani, Nairobi, KRU Chief Executive Officer Thomas Odundo outlined the Union’s immediate mission to rebuild the national side and keep players engaged through high-intensity international friendlies.

“We are ready to correct the shortcomings exposed during the World Cup qualification campaign. Our focus will now shift towards developing a competitive side ahead of the next World Cup qualification cycle and maintaining momentum during the international calendar,” Odundo stated.

KRU Vice-Chairman Moses Ndale echoed those sentiments, revealing a blueprint designed to establish a seamless pathway between Chipu and the Simbas.

He noted that involving Chipu head coach Simon Jawich and head of programme Carlos Katywa during the U20 campaign in Uganda was part of the strategy to ensure continuity, with unified training philosophies and systems filtering from the junior side to the senior team.

The announcement coincided with KRU securing a Ksh2.5 million partnership with Haco Industries, through its Amara brand, to support the Simbas’ training and local travel.

Ndale applauded Amara for extending its sponsorship, stating: “Amara has been our partner for the last three years and this partnership means our boys will be taken care of, from training to tournaments.

“We want to see more corporates coming in to support sports. We want to assure them that theirs will be to put in their money as we take on the responsibility of performing on the pitch.”

Haco Industries Marketing Director Catherine Obwino explained that the Simbas’ ability to elevate the Amara brand regionally prompted the company to increase its funding from Ksh1.5 million two years ago to Ksh2.5 million this year.

“Besides the monetary support, we are also providing products in kind. After training, the players will need shower gel and lotion. When you are involved in high-intensity activity, there is sweating and the need for deodorant,” Obwino said.

“Besides the Simbas, we are also going to support clubs taking part in six of the rugby sevens legs. We have already done Dala Sevens, and we will support Prinsloo, Driftwood and Embu Sevens, among others, by providing skin-care products. Amara will continue to support the team as they train and travel.

“We have a foundation and now we need to build on it. Rugby connects us, and that is why we want to be associated with a sport that goes beyond Kenya, carrying our pride and making the brand stronger.”

Simbas captain Samuel Asati expressed gratitude for the backing, emphasizing that early corporate support inspires accountability.

“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.

The KCB RFC and Kenya Sevens player also praised Chipu for their Barthés Trophy victory.

“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. 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.”