 It is the touch land here on Y254 and it's all about matters, sports and everything that has been happening. You have been watching some of the highlights of what happened in Nakuru when it came to the Prince Louis 7s, where Cabras actually became the winners. The Throning Menengai Oilers were the former winners of the Prince Louis 7s. Currently we've got the Christie 7s that is happening at the RFU grounds and we've got Mualimu Kechi Combo. The first actually coach to win the 7s title when it comes to the Kenya secondary school games in the East African region, taking his team to win it in Gulu, Uganda. Your work has been great when it comes to secondary school games. Yeah sure sure, thank you for inviting me. I think it's been good and I've seen the competition in Western. I think after COVID the teams are playing very well and encouraging to see that the games are back in full. The teams have been brought now for the national competition again and now this one is on full scale. So that tells us our development is good and the future players are developing and like when during the COVID where everything wants to stand still and the teams are not able to play. So I think they had a huge gap in between transition. So once we have a huge transition that tells us also that future players for plenty of the country. I think the situation was not well but now I'm happy to see that everything is back and even the funds are back to the study month. It is actually that is the conversation we have been having here with also Ken Andrews because you look at at 6 in the morning at 8 the stadium is already full Kitalia and currently right now we have got the finals happening at actual. The game is live on KBC Channel 1. We've got Dagoreti playing at St. Anthony's Kitalia in the finals at Bukungu Stadium. What a game that people are watching that enjoying at home in Bukungu. Yeah it is a big game and I think the main question is and the main puzzle is how do we translate this support for high school games into you know conventional that the main leagues the professional leagues because we see the KPL we see the Kenya Cup and then we see the turn out in Bukungu today and yesterday. I think that has to kick up a few questions in the minds of the leaders of the various generations because we want to market our top tier as good as how the high school is being projected and many are saying that the high school games especially even football and rugby especially you know they are saying that they are better quality than our own top tiers. Balu, the question will come to be where is the disconnect? You are looking at high school games attracting crowds. Actually even when we go to the bull ring in Kakamega, we do the catch sevens. Those crowds are not the way we are experiencing them today at Kakamega. In your own opinion analysis, where is the disconnect between our sports where we don't go to sport but for high school people are coming out to watch it? No I think just what the policies I think people in this country they have a very poor policy of running sports because traditionally like for example I was looking at how the Irish are placing themselves in terms of rugby development in the country and in the northern part of Ireland they have not been having that tradition of rugby but see now the rugby is now starting developing and that's why they are looking for the rector of rugby to go under in steel and develop the game in that particular region. But in Kenya we know that these guys come from western especially the sportsmen and the sportswomen they are modally in western but we've not done massive investment in western and I'm happy to see some of the governors now they are talking up and they are even congratulating and they are promising even some of them they are in the study in Natembea are promised to go there and cheer the teams. So you see now that's where the problem is. I told you if the government could have done in such a way that the minister of sports invest those, we have those facilities in those particular region I think this country could have been far. In Riftivale you put facilities for athletes in western region facilities for ball games probably in the region of Mombasa and the other regions but mostly 80% you put them in those regions to tap the talent because those talents are there even when you see those guys who are playing soccer look at the names, they come from that particular region and when you see clubs that have developed in rugby look at this one in Nairobi because they have facilities here but these players come from where they come from the western region so every year they go and scout and bring them to Nairobi, they get them the houses but now I'm less like Cabras now you see now Cabras has done and displaced those facilities in western so you see how Cabras is doing winning the Kenya Cup is now dominating in our 7th circuit again to elaborate further are you trying to say that we should go in a policy where that let's tap specialist talent from where it is from I think that Riftivale started late let's give them the advantage of bringing us athletes western, it's football and rugby let's give them that chance is that what you are saying? that's what works and even if you just look at Riftivales athletics themselves they have come up and put up for some facilities it's shame that the government cannot just put up an international state facilities in those particular regions but that is have come up even some from who change their citizenship to the other countries like the Netherlands they have come and invest in those particular regions for them to tap the talent but see now what they are doing is just scratching the back let us have those facilities in Kiritu let us have them in Baringo where we have this talent and then you tap the talent in Moundelgon look how it came from the Masai from Moundelgon no facilities but they are going to win to 10,000 meters in the Olympics so that tells us we have not tapped what we are doing is athletes themselves they are coming up and you guys who are investing little people who are investing in sports we just love sports so we are not tapping into the talent but if you put those facilities in those regions these are Kiritu policy they have organized for a tournament 3 days tournament but see the way people are there huge crowds people are even scrambling for space but now if you can have good facilities every weekend people are training we have put their high performance centers where people are now these are less conditioned properly Kenya will never be divided in some of these competitions when you go for either African championship or World Championship when it comes to these competitions we are in all of these competitions currently we are just coming up from what happened at the Trinidad and Tobago the youth the youth commonwealth games that actually come there and Kenya came back with 9 medals 5 gold and 4 silver in that currently we have actually sent a team to Budapest Hungary for the World Athletics Championships there and I can tell it is going to be a crack in some of those track and field events and now we are talking about everything that is happening here in the country and the Christi 7s is also happening at the Ngongrod Rfu can Kabras defend their title from what they have done at the Prislu I think with the coming in of Ayanga as the coach for Kabras I think these are former Kenyan 7 player I think he has jailed well with the players and having also looked at the way the players have played they have won Kenya Cup and quite a number of these guys are also playing for the 7s and the Simbas team like Kashundu, Derek Kashundu is playing for the Simbas he was once playing for Kenya 7s Shujia that's what he was playing for we also have Tanga who is playing for the skrama for Shujia we also have the likes of Adaga who is also playing and then the young guy who is coming up and Benze I think he is playing when you have all these people playing for Kabras I think Kabras is on its own class and they have jailed well and they are playing well and they have mastered the local 7s so I see probably the way they have won 3 mages today I think they can do it more again the way they are prepared they might win again the title and definitely now they will be home and dry for this particular year the national the overall national championship well it's a very good one for them, do you give them a chance because they have got John Akumals where he came up from injury and played in the 15s and actually been pushing them and for 7s he is standing out to be a very difficult and different animal at the 7s circuit Kevin Kenya 7s player very strong player I think most of their performances in the past 2,20s I think it's very hard to see anyone else but they are winning each but you know as I said before in Pala now they have to defend and try to get something well it's a big one there we've got some of the games that are actually happening and we will be giving you those results as we go on with the program we have got Kabras playing there and they are trying to defend against Kuru RFC and then Masinda Muliru their neighbor and feeder club is also there and then in Pala we are making their first appearance in the circuit at Pulbi we have got Kenya Harlequin and then homeboys Deyster Falcons and the university side Black Blood and defending champions for the Christian Stratmoleos we will be playing against Catholic Monks and Kisumu and then Puldi has newly promoted side Sigala Gala who have been put to test again national 7 circuit holders Menengai Olas Mwamba and then the oldest club in the country Nondis Scripts so it's a tough one there and just picking up from the secondary school games that are happening with the sport that actually tries to absorb some of these players let's say in the rugby circuit coming home from the secondary school games to try and play for these clubs and some of them we can consider like the likes of Osuka Uma came from the high school to play for the clubs here in the country actually went on for Stratmoleos and for them it looks like a very good way for them to tap that talent that is being brought up at the moment Ya, you see now the biggest challenge is these clubs don't have academies they don't have the league of under 20 that's where the problem is and when I was the director of rugby I really insisted and there's quite a number of staff that I put on the table on the development, on the issues where we can change our mentality and now develop the game there's no way we can have a club a Kenyan club that's not having a youthful side the issues they are just doing their short comes they are not doing long term programs where they keep on if a university has developed a player university clears the fourth year now they tap this player to come and play for the club but see now they don't want the transition but if the clubs could have under 20 like what's happening in South Africa each club has got each category half under 14 and 15 and 16 and these players are wanted all through New Zealand, Mackenzie how he was playing in high school because he was winning in high school so South Africa named the youngest player at 20 years old for rugby world cup for rugby world cup so those are the things that we are lacking here in Kenya so the only option is for them now to tap from the high school like the scouts are there in high school I've seen my friends there they are scouting for the players to come but see now there are players if they can be able to say they are academies you don't need to set an academy here in Nairobi, see now I have a club in Nairobi set an academy in western just have a stadium, facilities have even schools also in that facilities you see now academy should also have schools so where the students just read then even they come for training like the soka they are doing that I think they are setting up academy in Kitale academy sorry St. Annan's Kitale where they tap and the KFF invest because they have discovered this region they can be able to sell them to foreign clubs just for the talent I think that's a good idea and that's what also rugby should be able to do or the union can also set up a center in a high performance center in western region to tap on talent they have coaches, elite coaches they have the referees all round so that they can be able to coach these players from there that works I think we had done that and we were having a coach elite Pao who was moving across the country getting these players and putting them in camps at this when they have schooled we had made a policy that when schools were closed we bring now these players in camp at least for 3 weeks they play but now the issue is money the union has got very good plans and when you go to the development desk there's a lot of information that was put there for development of rugby in Kenya and we had even put up to 27 because we say this particular group of players will win for us for World Cup 2027 we have a group of players for under 16 they will take us to rugby in 2031 2034 and we had to send those programs and we were now to set this particular center to train these players for those particular program but now you see now the issue is funds we have issues with the sponsors they share away from investing Kenyan sponsorship is the biggest problem they want short term they don't want long term South Africa people someone will come and invest for 10 years but Kenyan someone wants to invest for 2 or 3 years then you renew so there's a rough uncertainty then you have vehement of money also they vote head from one program to another so that's where the biggest challenges and that's why these clubs now they rely on high schools they tap the talents from the high schools they to short term programs then they keep on moving on so even the clubs this is so erratic one year the club is up the following year the club is down 10 years and we need to stabilize and then something else about Kenyarag see now these particular players see now this is a time that we are on the lowest moment because Kenyan 7 has been relegated Simba has been qualified for the World Cup we have seen the juniors how they are performing what can usually bring us to the question now we have got the 7th circuit that is actually happening and we were relegated from the HSBC 7s does that have an impact on our local circuit itself a big one and you can be able to see the funds there is not that excitement that used to be there in the past because people could go to the stadium they want to see these players who are playing the 7th circuit how they are playing in execution but now with the relegation no one knows who is better but see now the selection someone sees how he performing at the HSBC series so attract the funds so we have a certain group of funds you have just a fund you just a fund who wants to go and see this player who has been watching on the TV so that has made a huge impact attraction over the clubs to go and watch even the funds also have reduced even when you look at the clubs this time round there is no competition among the clubs in the past clubs would want also to go and feature their players and limited spaces were given but see now even some pools are open because that tells you the number of clubs have reduced and that excitement probably they are just waiting for the 15 season and that's where the challenge is so there's a huge impact but now they need to have programs to work their way out to back to again to the series but it's a bit difficult because now you must win the challenge series then you go play against the last three the road back to the 7th circuit the HSBC 7th circuit it's an uphill task it's going to be a very serious task yeah it's an uphill task just take back to where Mr. Kumbu said development and academies I think this is something that should be associated with the licensing for each club to be in this league for them to play in the Kenya Cup or for them to play in the 7th circuit they need to have the development sides or the women's sides it happens a lot I think of assist because we see all the teams for them to be in this league they need to have the 18s, under 20s, under 23s and reserves to play in the secondary league I think that is something that is really crucial here because we get a lot of players who get lost in that transition because some of them move straight from high school straight into senior teams having no experience at all they've only played for example they've played at Koyonzo and then they move straight into Cabras there should be at least somewhere where they get molded and prepared to play in this and also with rugby right now being at its lowest point I think this connection that is completely lost with a certain niche of fans and also players because in the minds of the players playing through this 7 series right now I think what's next is that they've won the Kenya Cup but where else do they play because the HSBC had all these cameras on them it is one of the most loved tournaments in the world but you are not going to play in it playing in a league below the HSBC is not something that it's really not attractive players will be demotivated I don't think we could compare this circuit to the others because the question again what next, where do I play after this I think it's really really hurting in the mind of some of the really elite players and something else if they don't call for Olympics now it will be a disaster and remember Olympics South Africa didn't call for it directly they are fighting for that and they say they'll come for it we thought now they could for fade and say no we'll come and fight for that particular slot so it's going to be tough we have a zim playing look at how they hamata our young boys here in Anya Nation Stadium so that tells us this is our lowest point because you expect even the boys actually to perform well because the host they were playing at home but they didn't match that particular level that Kenya normally plays but I think it's a wake up call to go and look at themself African rugby is also on the lowest point I think the people who are also running the game in Africa they have issues because you don't see the right competition like the one that is happening in Europe to prepare these teams properly for the international competition and that's why the Africans are falling up what South Africa is doing is their own initiative and their own private programs and having their franchise team playing in Europe they are playing Super Rugby but when Super Rugby stopped they moved to Europe and remember Stomaz this year Stomaz afrik the finals so they had power with the world but now when it comes to the other teams it's a disaster remember this guy the chairman of rugby Afrik took the World Cup to France how do you develop the game when you take the game to France France developed the hosting the World Cup so it's supposed to host this game in one of the Africa Cup the Gold Cup when you take it and we have African countries that are hosting so you should give it to Kenya and tell Kenya no there's no way you're going to host this Madagask have done it even though they're not doing well so we have a lot of countries that can host even they could have asked South Africa to give them the venue finally let's talk about the Rugby World Cup that is coming up and next month the Web Alice Cup can South Africa actually defend their title that they won and then pull B alongside Ireland Scotland Tonga and Romania and pull A has got the heavyweights we can look at it as a group of death where the New Zealand France, Italy, Urugu and Namibia the big question is does the Rugby World Cup can South Africa defend their title for what they did the last time if they execute properly from the way things are they have well prepared and you've seen the last two matches they played very well against the Championship Cup against New Zealand though they won against Australia they won Argentina and then again when they went to Buenos Aires again they won against the Pumas but you see now as much as it's a second actually they did pick the first side to go to Buenos Aires and they did so well but the biggest is that the flyoff Henry Pollard is injured and in fact it's not part of the program and that's why if the social media in South Africa and across the world they have lamented that they don't have a specialist flyoff and you know Pollard is okay to organize the game and you need the kick also because South Africa when you look at the last two World Cup especially it was only the third one but the first two that's 1995 and 2007 they won through the kicks the straw others put them in the kick but this time round if they don't have a specialist kicker they almost changed their mindset they say now we're going to win by tries and I'm a Pimbi Squad and I called the squad in the last World Cup so being the first time that South Africa Squad had tried at the World Cup but Pollard having been injured now bringing in Manly Boke this guy who has around 7 tests he's a new guy in the circuit but he's doing well and they are working out the cover of the flyoff that's Fafi Diklak with a flyoff a skrama specialist William Dilem say it's not kicking well but it's more when the place for the club is more playing over full back than a flyoff so there are chances for them the bomb squad is okay it's intact though Yaga is injured but they are running as specialists Dion Fori is a good specialist a forward specialist and he can be able to put the spring box on the spot to win the World Cup the former English coach who is now the coach of Australia Eddie Johnson he has big conversation when they are doing the test matches and also again as New Zealand is in groups alongside Wales Fiji, Georgia and Portugal do you give him a chance to get to the knockoff stages and to play against the big boys the likes of New Zealand and France in the quarters even in the semis Nani is a very kind coach he's a very sharp coach because when he was in South Africa he assisted Jex and they won World Cup in 2007 he took England to the finals then he also when he took over Japan Japan beat actually South Africa in 2011 and 2015 and it was a big conversation across the world how does Japan actually beat the spring box the former champion so he's a good coach he's a good coach and elite coach and I think he can be able to put Australia though you can be able to see the guys with the experience that has dropped them what is he doing when he probably has realized that Australia and rugby had a problem with those guys like the Kupa they said in the chat he's left them behind so I feel that if he's got in the right squad and when they passed the last championship the second championship match against Australia they basically look up if at that now they are very close and they are winning that much though New Zealand came and won by a point so that tells you that he's picked over recently but before the World Cup that pool is not hard I think he will be able in the quarters and now he will be able to plan himself and he has played so well because he has won and he has taken the team to the finals finally we were talking of getting onto the quarters where we will have one pool of having the biggest teams getting on together in a final four where you can have New Zealand, France, Australia South Africa getting onto the same pool will that have an impact that can win the World Cup definitely it will have an impact especially with the funds of rugby because now it's very unfortunate that the World Rugby will be able to pool the World Rugby they pooled their teams first but earlier, immediate after the World Cup they pooled and that's why the music they have learned and they have seen people commenting across the world because you can have number one which is Ireland, number two France number two New Zealand number three France, number four South Africa number five Scotland number three those three countries they are in the same pool South Africa, Ireland and Scotland so that means one club among the top five will live in the pool games then when they go to the quarters these four teams are going to meet so France, Ireland Scotland and South Africa probably if South Africa makes it and Ireland because those are actually the big teams there Scotland might go home might be unfortunate but they defeated France last weekend so they are also in the mix so it will be unfortunate that the top two teams will live the World Cup and that might be able to shy off the funds from watching and they might waged up to probably the same as the finals depending on how which team will be able to remain in the race finally you from what you are wearing you are an old black no it is the old black who is doing this one yeah the way I have seen the old blacks are playing well they brought in guys like they are playing so well they brought in brothers they have come up with exception I think they stand a chance of winning though I am a fan of springboks about 2020 2023 still I feel the cup will remain in the South Hemisphere England, I only won once England in 2023 but I feel that still as much as people are talking about Ireland and France but I feel the cup again will remain that's why I give it for New Zealand Mwale Muki Kechi Kumbua rugby coach and a former director of youth and at the Kenya rugby union I am Robert Russell alongside Ken Andrews let's enjoy some of what is happening in the world of sports we had yesterday Manchester City winning against Burnley in the first game of the Premier League when we come back we will be talking much more of the fan zone here on Y2F this is the touchline