Partnership between the clubs has enabled in the exchange

Four Fijian boys from the Samurai Waimanu Naitasiri Rugby Club are stamping their mark at one of the Kabras Sugar Rugby Club in Kenya.

Coach Sailosi Naiteqe said this was part of their partnership with the club to help the boys build-up their rugby skills internationally.

“It’s an eight months rugby session, I sent in four boys to play in the seven series in Kenya recently.

“It has been three years that I’ve taken the Samurai team to play in the Safari sevens tournament from 2011-2013,” Naiteqe said.

Naiteqe said they have developed a good relationship with Kenya Rugby Union.

“From these four players we then developed a mutual relationship with the Kenya Rugby Union and they requested if I could send in some local Fijian players to help their club,” he said.

“Former Naitasiri number eight Apenisa Nabau is with the boys during their stay in Kenya22-year-old Jone Kubu was one of the top scorers for the season.

“He was our flyhalf and when he went there he was one of the top scorers unfortunately he can’t represent Kenya in the World Sevens series because he is not a citizen.

“I am also waiting from a reply from Sri Lanka they also starting their sevens season for eight months and hoping to send another four players.”

“These boys are unemployed youths, school dropouts who are living in the village so we’re helping them through training and finding overseas contracts to build a rugby career for them.”

Kabras Sugar Rugby Club media manager  Eric Onchiri Nyakundi  said so far the boys have shown improvement and were gearing up for the Kenya Cup 2015 /2016.

“We have lined up a few friendly matches going into the new Kenya cup season.  The boys have been superb with their Fijian style of rugby and they are enjoying the game on and off pitch.

“Jone Kubu is one player who is a danger man in the rugby circle in Kenya. They know how dangerous he is when he has the ball. His prowess continues with time. One thing about them is, every player is superb in his own ways,” Nyakundi said.

paulini.ratulailai@fijisun.com.fj