Injera ruled out of Paris, London legs: Rugby Speedster suffers knee injury in club duty

Kenyan rugby player Collins Injera attends a press conference for the Singapore Rugby Sevens tournament in Singapore on April 11, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / ROSLAN RAHMAN

Kenya Cup top scorer Mukidza recalled to replace Mwamba star.

Kenya Sevens vice captain and winger Collins Injera has been ruled out of the final two rounds of the 2016/2017 HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series in Paris (May 13-14) and London (May 20-21) legs due to a knee injury.

Injera, who suffered the injury while playing for his club Mwamba in the 25-18 Kenya Cup match defeat to champions Kenya Commercial Bank in March, has been replaced by Kenya Cup top points scorer Darwin Mukidza.

Instrumental Mukidza, who has been recalled after helping the bankers reclaim the Kenya Cup title, is the only change in coach Innocent Namcos Simiyu’s 12-man squad that did duty in Singapore and Hong Kong legs.

He last featured for Kenya in the Cape Town Sevens in December.

The team to be captained by Andrew Amonde and assisted by Mwamba’s Billy Odhiambo departs for Paris on Monday morning.

“It is unfortunate that Injera will not be with us for the reminder of the season. He injured his knee and the doctors are looking at the best way to ensure he recuperates before the new season,” Simiyu told The Standard Sports after naming his travelling party at RFUEA Grounds yesterday.

“Of course we are going to miss him (Collins Injera). He is a big player and his experience has always been invaluable to the team. But it is also an opportunity to expose other players.

“We don’t want to risk by rushing him back into action because we have a very busy season (12 tournaments) next year. But I believe in the squad that I have selected and I am confident we will do well in the two legs,” he said.

Simiyu believes Mukidza has what it takes to make the team.

“We have brought in Darwin who is not new in the team; he was with us in Cape Town and everybody knows what he can do. He has had an impressive season with KCB and even helped them win the Kenya Cup. He is good in attack and high balls. We believe in his abilities and expect him to replicate his club form in Paris and London,” said Simiyu.