The Kenya Rugby League Federation (KRLF) has partnered with the Machakos County government to establish the Benjamin Ayimba Legacy annual Rugby tournament.
The tournament, which will take place at Kenyatta Stadium in Machakos from April 7th to 9th, 2023, is in honor of the late Rugby legend and icon Benjamin Ayimba, who was a co-founder of the Masaku Rugby team and the KRLF.
Proceeds from the tournament will be used to support the Machakos Children’s Home and Rugby development activities. The tournament will feature three categories: Men, Women, and Development, and is open to all interested teams. The tournament will be a celebration of Ayimba’s life and the work he did in Rugby development.
KRLF Chairman Quicks Nyakwaka said: “A rugby brother so loved, we cherish his international rugby achievements for Kenya and all the emerging countries in the rugby world. This tournament is a celebration of his life and all the massive work he did in Rugby developmen.,”
Machakos County Governor Wavinya Ndeti on her part said: “Indeed Ayimba was among the greatest of all time in the world of rugby coaching and he did us proud as a nation. The light he lit for us on the global stage should never be dimmed. It is our responsibility to take the stellar performance legacy he left us to new heights.”
The county’s Sports Minister Onesmus Muasyia said: “It’s a great privilege for Machakos to host The legend B Ayimba Legacy Tournament in our first year in office. This will help showcase the capacity of Machakos to host major sports events, identify, nurture, develop and promote rugby players in out county.”
Ayimba died in May 2021 at Kenyatta National Hospital where he was undergoing cerebral malaria treatment.
The tactician was the most decorated Kenya 7s head coach after guiding Kenya to its first ever World Rugby Sevens Series Main Cup title in 2016 at the Singapore 7s.
