Kenya rugby teams will have to spend over 400 million shillings ($4 million) to honor their calendar of events in 2020.
Oduor Gangla, chairman of Kenya Rugby Union (KRU), said Wednesday unless sponsors and the government come to their aid, they may have to forfeit some competitions as the country has enacted two teams – men and women – in this year’s Olympic Games in Tokyo.
Kenya Sevens team, Shujaa, is already out in Los Angeles, the USA for the World Series fifth leg after stops in Cape Town, Dubai, Hamilton and Sydney.
Simbas, the Kenya 15s rugby side, will have their biggest assignment this year as they will be playing in a revamped Africa Cup while the women side, Lionesses, have a World Cup qualifier in April as well as an assignment in the World Sevens Series.
The Junior team, Chipu, will be taking part in the Barthes Cup on home soil in April.
“Kenya Under-18 team, which will be going to Namibia for a Sevens tournament, are also factored in. All the four teams will each require $1 million to cater for their budgets,” Gangla said.
Shujaa is also mooting to pitch camp in South Africa next month to utilize the lull brought about by the postponement of the Singapore and Hong Kong Legs of the World Series.
The camp will help in their preparations for the Tokyo Olympics from July 24 to August 9 in Japan.
