After an impressive debut in this year’s Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association (KSSSA) games, Nyagichenche Secondary School, a relatively unknown team, has set its sights on becoming the top girls’ rugby school in the country.
Nyagichenche Secondary School, which, despite only starting rugby this year, delivered an outstanding performance by finishing fourth at the nationals and advancing to the FEASSA games for the first time in its history.
Nyagichenche Secondary coach
Nyagichenche’s coach, Dennis Onyango, spoke to Scrummage Africa about the school’s remarkable rugby journey.
Nyagichenche Secondary School before heading to FEASSSA. PHOTO/Nyagichenche
“Rugby began this year after the school sent me to a rugby clinic. I saw an opportunity for the girls to play, and that’s how we started,” Onyango explained.
However, the journey was far from smooth, with the team facing numerous challenges along the way.
“The first challenge was the girls’ attitude towards the sport. Being in a rural setting, many believed rugby was a sport only for boys,” Onyango shared with a laugh.
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He added, “This made recruitment difficult. A player would come for one training session and disappear, and I had to go after them because I could see their potential. Fear was often spread by other girls, which made it even harder.”
Like any new team, acquiring proper training equipment was a major hurdle. “Training equipment is expensive, and expecting the girls to buy it themselves was and still is a challenge. We had only one ball that we’ve been using throughout,” Onyango said.
Despite the obstacles, Nyagichenche are determined to build on this year’s success and establish a lasting legacy. Onyango, who dreams of his team becoming national champions, has ambitious plans for the future.
“After our participation in this year’s KSSSA and doing so well, we plan to build on our success and elevate the rugby program. We’re working on a scholarship initiative to recruit talented girls and also plan to introduce 15s rugby next year. We aim to participate in more rugby tournaments as well,” he outlined.
Nyagichenche Secondary challenges
This year marked Onyango’s first involvement with rugby, having been introduced to the game through several rugby clinics. While he learned a lot, he admitted to facing multiple challenges, particularly in terms of squad depth.
“It was a steep learning curve for me. With a very thin squad lacking depth and quality, it was tough, but we managed to push through by focusing on changing the girls’ mindset,” Onyango noted.
Nyagichenche Secondary School during BingwaFest. PHOTO/Nyagichenche
As Nyagichenche looks to grow, Onyango concluded by appealing for support. “We are seeking assistance from well-wishers, and we would greatly appreciate any help we receive,” he said.
