Bid for World Series: Muthee says success in hosting Safaricom Sevens is proof of the country's readiness for IRB tourney

Kenya’s team play against Tonga in the 2013/2014 IRB World Series at the Gold Coast in Australia. Kenya has bid to host a leg of the 2014-2015 IRB World Series in Nairobi. [PHOTO: IRB]

Kenya has the structures and fan base to host any of the International Rugby Board (IRB) World Series competitions.

Kenya Rugby Union (KRU) Chairman Mwangi Muthee confirmed that the country has put in a strong bid to the IRB and hopes it will be cleared to stage one of the nine rounds of the World Series.

“We are ready any time for it and this was proved with the successful hosting of the National Sevens Circuit series ahead of the Safaricom International Sevens, which starts on Friday,” he said.

Muthee is confident they have the capacity and technical know-how to host a successful tournament after coming out strong in the competitive National Sevens Circuit where Kenya Commercial Bank were crowned the champions for the second year running.

“Our National Sevens circuit is one of the most competitive and well organised in Africa and maybe the world. That is why we have been able to attract major sponsors,” Muthee told Feverpitch in an interview.

He said the Safaricom Sevens to be hosted at Kasarani from Friday to Sunday is one of the biggest competitions in Africa that has attracted some of the world-renowned players.

“So when we use our players during the Safaricom Sevens, we are confident of exposing them to some of the most refined world-class players,” he said.

The tournament has attracted a number of world-class teams including Argentina, Canada, New Zealand’s Auckland Metro and England’s Samurai.

Others are South African sides Western Province, Sharks, Golden Lions and Boland Cavaliers. Australia Icons, Spain, Germany, United Kingdom’s The Wailers, British Students Select, The Stormers, The Sharks, Welsh Warriors and Uganda will also be represented alongside the Kenyans, who will field two teams - Shujaa and Morans.

Kenya Rugby Union are expected to release the fixtures of the tournament later this week.

“The Wailers is almost The Wales National team and the same applies to the Australia’s Icons,” said the KRU boss. “The only team that is still strange to us is Germany because we do not know the quality of their players.”

On Kenya’s preparations to the Gold Coast Sevens in Australia, Muthee said all was well and National Sevens Team head coach Paul Treu would come up with a strong side.

“The coach this time round watched the whole series and I believe he would select a strong squad from the players who excelled in the National Sevens circuit,” he added.

Kenya are in Pool B with South Africa, Wales and American Samoa for the opening round of the IRB World Series in Gold Coast, Australia next month.

Pool A has New Zealand, Samoa, France and Japan with Pool C having Fiji, Australia, Scotland and Portugal while Pool D has England, Canada, Argentina and USA.