Ahead of the 2018/19 season, we caught up with the respective Kenya cup club captains and discussed their preparations, thoughts and expectations for the season. Hear it from the head horse’s mouth…
We expect a very competitive season ahead as this will be our first shot at Kenya cup but these are the moments we live for.
Harold Anduvate – Menengai Oilers RFC
How does it feel to play in the Kenya Cup? First things first,Exciting moment for the club. Kenya cup has been our goal since establishment.
How have your preparations been ahead of the season? The boys have had a considerably good preseason and a lengthy one for that matter. Towards the end of it we’ve had two massive friendlies which were all about testing our structures and getting to feel what to expect this season.
What are your expectations for the season? We and the organization therefore expect a very competitive season ahead as this will be our first shot at Kenya cup but these are the moments we live for.
What is your message to your fans? Its not more of promising heaven on earth, but our fans should expect some new brand of rugby as compared to last season and hopefully the unexpected will be achieved.
Our target is to make it to the play offs, our fans should expect a wonderful season ahead…
Shadon Munoko – Mean Machine RFC
Shadon is a man of few words... “We are well prepared,we used Floodies and varsity cup to learn and rectify our mistakes also to know the starting squad. Unlike other seasons this season we have depth. Our target is to make it to the play offs, our fans should expect a wonderful season ahead, we are well prepared”
I expect a very competitive and exciting season ahead which will give us the chance to express our best.
Ian Obukwa – Blak Blad RFC
How have your preparations been? Well our preparations this season started of with the KUSA VARSITY league campaign which was a pretty good platform for testing out our new players considering the departure of some of our key players, Steven Odhiambo Ivan chebo and Njenga Brian, this has given us an eye opener on our weaknesses and strengths.
What are your expectations of the season? Well I expect a very competitive and exciting season ahead which will give us the chance to express our best.
Will you do anything differently this season from the last? We have new playing structures in place which we believe will be in our favor and we’ve also been polishing on our set pieces and soft skills.
A message to your fans? To our fans we thank them for the continuous support and we hope to continue this walk ahead with them.
Fans should expect new faces with a lot of vigour to deliver and give better performances throughout the season.
Fidel Oloo – Nondies RFC
How have your preparations been? We’ve had a fantastic preseason, guys came in for conditioning in huge numbers and a few lads joining from other clubs with a positive energy on the team.
What are your expectations of the new season? Our focus is on the play offs and we expect a more competitive season which we’ve really worked for.
Will you do anything differently this season from the last? I think this season we’ll manage our games well and finish every match on a high as compared to previous seasons.
A message for your Fans? Fans should expect new faces with a lot of vigour to deliver and give better performances throughout the season.
Our Head Coach has introduced new plays that will definitely keep all teams wondering what we will do next.
Patrick Ruhiu – Mwamba RFC
How have your preparations been? It has been a long journey and after floodlit we were able to see where we did it well and where we needed to correct ourselves. I am positive and this time round all departments are ready for the task ahead.
What are your expectations of the new season? This time round we are focusing on a game by game scenario. Understanding our opponents and how to react when they show up. Also expect better outcome than last year. Forgetting the past and focusing on what is a head of us.
Will you do anything differently this season from the last? Our Head Coach has introduced new plays that will definitely keep all teams wondering what we will do next. So you will see the old Mwamba all over the pitch and executing their plays and having fun in the pitch.
A message for your Fans? Come and support the club for you and I. R-family.
A lot of young players coming through and good competition across the board and I believe we are ready for the season.
Donald Aluoch – Vice Captain, Nakuru RFC
How have your preparations been? Preparations for the season have been okay. A lot of young players coming through and good competition across the board and I believe we are ready for the season.
What are your expectations of the new season? The season is going to be tough and we have to brace ourselves for the same and approach each game at a time and aim to be in the playoffs and see how it goes from there.
A message for your Fans Game approach will change depends on who we are facing and expect good quality from rugby Nakuru.
All I can promise is an improvement in our general play compared to last season.
John Oduk – Strathmore Leos.
How have your preparations been? Our preparations ahead of this season have gone well in terms of the workload planned and going by the few games we played during the Impala floodlights tournament, I believe we are on the right track in terms of where we want to be as a team. What now remains is the boys executing according to be script as we kick off the season.
What are your expectations of the new season? Our expectations this season is to first make it to the playoffs and then proceed on wards. Our aim is to go a step better than last season to say the least.
Will you do anything differently this season from the last? I don’t think we will do anything different this season. All I can promise is an improvement in our general play compared to last season.
A message for your Fans To our fans, I would like to first thank them for always backing the boys, we promise to put in a good show for them. They should also expect a lot of new and exciting young faces in the team. XXVII.
They’ll get to see a revitalized Quins unit this season. A group of men who will represent the jersey with pride each match day.
Peter Misango – Kenya Harlequins.
How have your preparations been? Very exciting but still gruesome as any preseason should be. We embraced the mantra of taking each game at a time and despite our early loss to Impala; we’ve seen gains in different facets of our game plan.
What are your expectations of the new season? This is where you answer refer back to answer no.1 hahaha. Anyway as said above, we need to take each game at a time and trying not to get too much ahead of ourselves. As a captain though, I’d set a minimum target of reaching the finals.
Will you do anything differently this season from the last? For starters I’m sure you’ve noticed we’ve beefed up specific positions. The coach is trying to tweak some areas he might have noticed weakness either in quality or just pure depth. Also our approach to games this season will be totally different. We are developing a defence oriented mindset as a team. To concede as little points as possible since the team that defends well are hard to beat in turn.
A message for your Fans I’d like to thank our fans for standing by is through thick and thin and showing us the true mark of loyalty. To let them know that none of us takes the opportunity to don the quartered jersey for granted. They’ll get to see a revitalized Quins unit this season. A group of men who will represent the jersey with pride each match day regardless of the score and strive to make them proud.
This season we are chasing at least one trophy and a podium finish
Joel Omer – Vice Captain Resolution Impala Saracens
How have your preparations been? We have done 19 weeks of off-season training with a huge emphasis on fitness and conditioning. If you also factor in the fact that we had a pretty impressive floodlights campaign then it is safe to say that we are ready to start Kenya cup and ESS on a high.
What are your expectations of the new season? This season we are chasing at least one trophy and a podium finish in all the other tournaments that we don’t win.
Will you do anything differently this season from the last? We have shifted focus to our conditioning this season and ensure we play a fast paced game throughout the whole campaign
A message for your Fans We ask our fans to rally behind the boys as we will need them seeing that this is a pretty long season.
In the last two seasons we managed to get to the semifinals, I am sure we have now grown past semis to finals…
Thomas Okidia – Menengai Cream Homeboyz RFC
How have your preparations been? Preparations have been good, we have a new coach, so it’s been different from what we were used too but all in all its been a good preseason.
What are your expectations of the new season? We expect to go a notch higher than where we were last season, this means reaching the Kenya Cup finals and even winning it, in the last two seasons we managed to get to the semifinals, I am sure we have now grown past semis to finals or even winning it.
Will you do anything differently this season from the last? Just a few changes that will make us reach the finals, cause am sure we used to do something right for us to be in the semis 2 seasons in a row.
A message for your Fans To the fans you’ve always been there, this season we promising exciting rugby and trophies at the end.
They should expect some exciting “sugar coated” rugby bila malaria…
Max Adaka – Kabras Sugar RFC
How have your preparations been? I believe we’ve prepared well, the last two weekends we’ve played friendlies against Menengai Oilers, Western bulls and Kisumu just to see whether the new systems are working.
What are your expectations of the new season? This season we’re going to take it a game at a time, our first and main focus is to play in the Kenya cup finals, at home, meaning we have to finish top of the league.
A message for your Fans To the fans, they should expect some exciting “sugar coated” rugby bila malaria. They should just continue supporting us on this quest to bring the cup back home.
Our main target is retaining the Kenya cup…
Curtis Lilako – KCB
How have your preparations been? The Cape town tour was really pivotal in our preseason training, we got to learn a few concepts and worked on some of our errors from the previous season.
What are your expectations of the new season? Our main target is retaining the Kenya cup, that is what all our focus is on.
Will you do anything differently this season from the last? Try and make our strong points stronger, hit our opponents with an element of surprise as I’m sure they have trained extra hard for our campaigns, and also try use the vast pool of players we have to try bring diversity.
A message for your Fans We won’t disappoint. Keep walking with us and we’ll keep doing the hard work.
There you have it ladies and gentlemen, straight from the head horse’s mouth. A big thank you to the captains for taking time out to talk to us, we wish all the best in the coming season and may the best man win!
Now let us sit back and enjoy the 2018/19 season, it promises to be a CRACKER! Feel free to share with us who you will be backing this season in the comments section.
KWISHA…Nimeruka Nje!!
