Likoni Community's Touch Rugby victory evidence of youth and women's rugby development

Likoni Community's inconceivable win at the South Coast Fives Touch Rugby Tournament has brought to the fore the giant strides made in the development of rugby in the Coastal region.

It seems almost unbelievable that a little-known team made up of mostly students waltzed their way past the more experienced professionals to win the tournament.

In beating the holders, Nairobi Crusaders, Likoni Community also made history as one of the youngest sides to ever win the tournament.

What makes their win even more exciting is that they had five girls as part of their squad.

The tournament rules allow teams to register mixed squads, with organizers going further to award bonus scoring points to teams that field girls.

This trailblazing way of playing has ensured that girls and women are involved, and are a part of the festivities.

Celestine Masinde, who competed in the women's rugby sevens competition for Kenya at the 2016 Summer Olympics, was also part of the female players contingent at the event.

In keeping up with the tournament's ethos, organizers involved local youth rugby teams in an effort to continue rugby development in the region. The South Coast Pirates Rugby Academy fielded three squads made up of students from Mvindeni and Kaya Tiwi Secondary Schools.

Likoni Community's squad had 16 players including 5 girls led by 20-year-old captain Makaba Omar, a student at the Likoni Technical and Vocational College.

Their rugby development program works with local kids from the Likoni area in Kenya's South Coast, to help them pursue their passion for sports while simultaneously guiding them through their education.

Speaking to Citizen Digital, Alliance Group's Marketing Director Julie Wahome, explained why talent development and women's involvement is a key component of their strategy.

“Since we started, we have seen the young people from our community develop their skills, and improve their involvement and participation in rugby. The local club that we support, the South Coast Pirates RFC, has joined the Kenya Cup for the first time so we can see the results of our efforts,” said Wahome.

“We are hoping to get more young men and women involved in future tournaments. A big part of all this success has been the big support of our sponsors and we are always grateful for that.”

The steady growth of rugby in the Coastal regions of Mombasa and Kwale Counties has been as a result of concerted efforts by different stakeholders involved with sports.

The South Coast Pirates, for example, stand out as one of the biggest success stories in Kenyan rugby. Their promotion to the top tier of Kenyan rugby last season has put Kwale County on the map.

Now more than ever, there is need for proper financial support and proper talent development strategies to be put in place to help the team continue their growth.

This exact sentiment is echoed by Hon. Francisca Kilonzo, who is the CEC for Social Services and Talent Management in the Kwale County Government.

“We are committed to helping our young people in Kwale County nurture their talent by providing the best conditions for their success. Congratulations to the winners of the South Coast Fives Touch Rugby Tournament. We are fast-tracking the development of infrastructure like the Kinarini Stadium, so that multi-disciplinary sports teams can use them for matches and training,” Kilonzo said.

In a way, Likoni Community's win has once again reiterated the need for prioritizing talent development and giving that talent a conducive platform to perform.

With continued support, innovative events like the South Coast Fives will continue churning out the next generation of sports superstars.