Nondescripts set to host inaugural Ruff N Tuff 7s ahead of Circuit

Former Kenya Cup champions Nondescripts RFC are all but ready to host the inaugural Ruff N Tuff 7s tournament set for Saturday at Ngong Racecourse Grounds in Nairobi.

The one-day event, aims at improving the quality among the community based teams to boost their chances of making it to the national team. It  also serves as a preparation ahead of the national 7s circuit set to kick off in Mombasa later this month.

The tournament, which is not open to corporate-sponsored clubs,  will feature three university sides — Strathmore Leos, KU Blak Blad,USIU alongside five community clubs; Mwamba RFC, Impala RFC, Nakuru RFC, Kenya Harlequins, and the hosts Nondescripts.

Speaking ahead of the tournament, Nondies Chairman Richard Muturi, who also doubles up as Crown Paint CEO, said the tourney aims at promoting rugby.

“As Crown, we are happy to be part of the journey to promote rugby in Kenya. We recently engaged with KRU to support Shujaa in the final three legs of the HSBC World Series. From the positive feedback we received, we decided to start a tournament that supports and promotes the game,” he explained.

Muturi says that Ruff N Tuff 7s is purposefully designed as a non-commercial, community-based tournament, with a long-term goal of nurturing talent for the national stage.

 “What’s common with the teams participating is that none of them has corporate sponsorship,” he said. “This tournament is about giving community clubs a platform and helping them become a feeder system for the national team.”

Muturi at the same time took a swipe at the current national team selection process, questioning whether community-based players are being given a fair shot, despite having the talent to represent the country.

Kenya Harlequins which won the national 7s circuit last year had no player in the Shujaa team for the HSBC 7s world circuit and the recently concluded Africa Rugby 7s.

He said there are plans to expand Ruff N Tuff 7s into a two-day event, incorporating more teams and a women’s category in future editions.