Kenya 15s rugby world rating drops after losses

By Ben Ahenda

Kenya has dropped in  the International Rugby Board (IRB) World Fifteens Series ranking.

This comes a week after a disastrous performance at the Trial Nations Tournament in Namibia, where they lost their two matches.

Kenya lost the first match to hosts Namibia 55-35 before going down 29-14 to Zimbabwe.

From the IRB ranking released four days ago, Kenya has dropped from position 32 to 31 globally compared to the ratings in September.

However, Kenya has retained her ranking in Africa at position three behind South Africa and Namibia.

Kenya does not feature among the first top ten rugby-playing nations in the World Fifteens Series compared to the National Sevens team, which ranks among the first top ten nations globally.

South Africa, who top in Africa, are second-placed globally with 88.51 points behind world champions New Zealand who have accumulated 93.20 points.

TRAILING GLOBALLY

Others are Australia 84.22, France 81.44, Ireland 80.76, Wales 80.71, Samoa 79.24, Scotland 77.25 and Argentina on 75.50 points. Finland are  trailing globally in the ratings at position 104 with 27.92 points.

Namibia is the second-placed nation in Africa and 31st globally with 52.78 points followed by Kenya at position 32 globally with 52.78 points. Others are Zimbabwe in position 32 globally at 52.54 points, Morocco (position 36 on 51.18 points), Madagascar (37 - 51.13 points), Senegal (42 - 48.68 points), Tunisia (45 - 48.25 points), Ivory Coast(49 - 47.04 points) and Uganda(53 - 46.36 points).

NOT BADLY OFF

The rest are Botswana (80 - 38.58 points), Cameroon (82 - 38.33points), Nigeria (83 - 37.92 points), Zambia (86 - 36.94 points), Swaziland (92 - 35.63 points) and Mauritius (103 - 29.29 points).

Kenya Rugby Union Communications Manager Michael Kwombe said Kenya is not badly off as far as the international 15s ratings are concerned.

“We are within some of the best ratings, taking into account the requirements of Fifteens rugby,” he told FeverPitch yesterday.

He said that Kenya’s ratings had been affected by the losses she suffered in Namibia at the three-nations competition, a tournament sanctioned by the International Rugby Board.

“We still have a chance to improve these ratings and this will depend on our future engagements at the international level,” Kwombe explained.

“We expect to give the team another chance and they must raise their game at the World Cup qualifying matches in Madagascar next year,” he added.

Kwombe said the union would send a team to the Africa World Cup qualifying matches in Madagascar in June. Kenya will compete against hosts Madagascar, Zimbabwe and Namibia in order to qualify for the World Cup 15s. —[email protected]