The Kenya Cup, the country’s premier rugby competition, returns this weekend for its 56th season with the 12-team contest determined to maintain a scheduling tradition that has defined it for years – matches take place on Saturdays only.
One might wonder whether Saturday is the only day on which players can contest line-outs, make hand-offs, scrum, tackle and score and convert tries. It turns out it is.
Players, coaches and administrators told Nation Sport that they have other commitments between Sunday and Friday. These include academic and white-collar work, and religious commitments.
The sport’s categorisation as an amateur event, history and traditions also explain why the matches are staged on Saturdays.
Kenya Rugby Union CEO Thomas Odundo, former KRU Communications Manager Michael Kwambo, Kabras Sugar coach Carlos Katywa, Menengai Oilers coach Gibson Weru and Menengai Oilers captain Ibrahim Ayoo all agreed that the fact that rugby is an amateur sport in Kenya explains why Kenya Cup matches are played on Saturdays.
It also emerged that most rugby players and coaches do not earn enough from the sport because the teams they play or work for are not fully professional. Therefore, they have to work other jobs from Monday to Friday while leaving early mornings and late evenings for training.
Katywa and Weru also listed religion and the need for a rest day as reasons why Saturdays are convenient.
“People need time to rest, and Sunday is the best day for that because it also allows them time to prepare for the week ahead,” said Katywa, who is from South Africa. “Many players and coaches are religious and prefer to use Sundays to go to church and spend time with friends and family,” said Weru.
Kabras Sugar's Walter Okoth (centre) is tackled by Mwamba Chris Asira (hidden) during their Kenya Cup rugby league matchat Impala Club on Febraury 4, 2023.
Photo credit: Chris Omollo | Nation Media Group
The two coaches and Ayoo also spoke about ‘following traditions’. “I started playing in the Kenya Cup on Saturdays and just got on with it,” said Ayoo, a sentiment echoed by Weru. Katywa offered a broader perspective, describing the scheduling of matches on Saturdays as ‘woven into a tradition that circulates globally’.
In 2024, The Guardian reported that organisers of the Six Nations were considering holding all of the competition’s matches on Saturdays, after data showed that matches played on that day attracted the highest attendance and TV viewership.
“In South Africa, most professional teams play on Saturdays. Some, such as the Sharks, prefer to host their home matches on Friday nights. University matches are mostly played on Mondays and Fridays, while lower-league teams and amateur clubs prefer Sundays,” said Katywa.
However, as Kwambo recalled, some Kenya Cup matches were played midweek until the mid-1990s, when Nairobi’s traffic became such an inconvenience. “Nairobi was less populated and the traffic was nowhere near as bad as it is today,” he said.
Odundo, the KRU chief executive, said that spreading Kenya Cup matches over three days would benefit fans and rugby reporters alike. The current schedule means fans can only watch one match per weekend. However, if the matches were spread out, fans and journalists could watch more games, increasing their knowledge of the game and teams, argued Odundo.
Emmanuel Mlindo of Menengai Oilers is tackled by David Kudoda of Strathmore Leos tackle during a Kenya Cup Rugby League match on November 30, 2024 at Strathmore Sports Complex.
Photo credit: Chris Omollo | Nation Media Group
“As it is, we have difficulty finding a broadcaster for our matches, because who wants to show only one live match per weekend?” Odundo said.
“I know almost nothing about other teams and players because I never watch them play live. We all play at the same time. Spreading matches can allow us to watch more matches,” Ayoo said.
“Technology has bridged the gap. I analyse a team by watching videos of their matches rather than watching them play. I get to see a lot more in videos,” Katywa said. Katywa also pointed out that spreading matches over days will strain routines dictated by current norms.
