Usually, rugby teams in Kenya consist of 15 players, but there is a 7 player variant of the rugby union. The seven player rugby game is usually administered by the International Rugby Board. IRB is an international body responsible for all rugby unions worldwide. The game of rugby originated in Scotland. Rugby is very popular in Kenya and other parts of Africa. Rugby is also a famous sport worldwide and consists of both amateur and professional tournaments in Kenya usually held in the first quarters of the year.
Rugby in Kenya is sometimes referred to as American football. The rugby players in Kenya usually pass the ball to each other and place it on a line, called a touch area, at the end of the field. A score is usually referred to as a try. The players are also allowed to kick the ball over an erected bar in the field. Rugby in Kenya can be considered as relaxed football only that scruming, tackling and racking is allowed.
In Kenya, rugby is a very popular sport. The Kenya Rugby 7s team is acknowledged for their prowess in playing the game. The Kenya national team has played professionally up to the final stages of the world cup and other key titles. The sensational team in Kenya is headed by Humphrey Khayange. Currently, the Kenya national rugby 7s team is one of the core teams of the International Rugby Board sevens. This means that Kenya rugby team is guaranteed of a slot in all the eight events held in every rugby sevens season.
The Kenya rugby national team also hosts the Safari Sevens event in Kenya every year for the last seventeen years, since 1996. Safari sevens in Kenya is a tournament that is organized by the Kenya Rugby Football Union. The Safari Sevens event in Kenya was formally known as the Tusker Safari Sevens as the East African Breweries Limited (EABL) in Kenya was its key sponsor. This was the case until 2010, when Safaricom Limited in Kenya became the key sponsor of the rugby event in Kenya. The event then adopted the name Safaricom Safari sevens.
The Safaricom Safari sevens series in Kenya merges seven local events in to one, and this culminate into the final series of the event usually held in Nairobi. In 2013, the last event was held in Moi International Sports Centre Kasarani along Thika superhighway in early September. The events of the safaricom series are, the Dala 7s usually held in Kisumu, Kababeri 7s in Nairobi, Driftwoods 7s in Mombasa, Princeloo 7s in Nakuru, Christie’s 7s in Nairobi and finally The Safaricom 7s in Nairobi.
This Safaricom Safari Sevens event in Kenya usually attracts thousands of people. There are also other players from other countries all over the world who attend the Safaricom Sevens event in Nairobi. Spectators are expected to purchase tickets to Safaricom Sevens Event so as to gain entry into the stadium.
If you did not attend 2013 Safaricom Sevens, catch some of the best rugby players in action in 2014!
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