KRU decries suspension of sport

Kenya Rugby Union (KRU) has said that the decision to suspend sports activities in the country is hurting the game.

A statement from the Union implored on President Uhuru Kenyatta to rescind the decision saying they had worked tirelessly to resume activity under the laid down guidelines.

The statement indicated that Kenya’s preparations to host Rugby Africa Under-20 Barthes Trophy as well as prepare national teams for Tokyo Olympic Games and 2023 Rugby World Cup qualifiers are in jeopardy.

The statement explained that the cessation of sporting activities poses a serious threat to the mental health and overall well-being of athletes and other sports practitioners.

Kenya is also set to host the 2021 Rugby Africa U20 Barthes Trophy from June 24 to July 4 in Nairobi, and preparations had moved a notch higher with the formation of a Local Organising Committee (LOC) by the Ministry of Sports.

Rugby Africa Cup also kicks off in July where Kenya will be among the 12 teams that will be split into four pools. The best two teams from each pool qualify for Rugby Africa Cup 2022, which will serve as the final round of Rugby World Cup 2023 qualifier for Africa.

At the time of the league’s suspension on March 26, this year, the statement elaborated that they had conducted a total of 1,551 Covid-19 PCR tests of which 44 returned positive results. This makes for a 2.8 per cent prevalence rate.

“We have subjected players and match officials in the Kenya Cup league to regular testing and have taken the necessary steps inclusive of contact tracing and re-testing in incidences where players test positive for Covid-19,” the statement said.

The Union had gone as far as postponing fixtures in instances that they felt posed a greater health and safety risk. “The Union has again diligently adhered to these guidelines as well as those issued by the game’s global governing body, World Rugby,” said the statement.

The Union noted that the levels of strength and conditioning in the sport take time to attain and that players had just started getting into shape after a long break. 

“With another possibly prolonged break, we will lose all the gains and ultimately be uncompetitive in the upcoming international assignments,” said the statement.

While this directive was part of a series of measures to curb the spread of Covid-19 which continues to cause havoc locally and internationally, the statement stated that it has left the Union in an awkward situation.

The Union said the suspension came at a time when Kenyan rugby was picking up after a year of inactivity occasioned by the initial lockdown and ensuing factors critical to getting the Government green light to return to play. This period of inactivity came at a cost, noted the Union.

“We lost revenues due to event cancellations, most notably the Rugby Africa Barthes U20 Trophy, the National Sevens Circuit and the Safari Sevens,” said the Union.