The Kenya Rugby Union (KRU) Board has today unveiled a bold agenda to strengthen rugby development structures and enhance governance. The new leadership is keen on professionalizing the game, nurturing young talent, and strengthening governance from the grassroots to the national level.
Among the key reforms is a proposal to scrap the long-standing Eric Shirley Shield (ESS) league and replace it with a dynamic Under-20 league exclusively involving Kenya Cup clubs.
“The intended change of the ESS format to an under 20 league played by Kenya Cup clubs only, not only allows us to rebrand the said league but aligns to KRU’s development pathway and international competition standards,” said Director Mukabane who was present at the function.
Under the proposed structure, the Under-20 league will run concurrently with Kenya Cup fixtures. Match-day squads will be permitted to include five over-age players, with a maximum of three allowed on the field at any one time. These over-age players, primarily returning from injury will be restricted to a maximum of three consecutive matches. “Chipu’s strong performance has placed Kenya on the global rugby map. We must now strengthen this momentum by giving this age bracket consistent game time,” said Mukabane.
The ESS, founded in 1962 as a second-tier competition to the Nairobi District Championship, has long been a mainstay of Kenya’s rugby calendar. However, the KRU Board believes this transition will better support Kenya’s evolving rugby ecosystem and talent pipeline.
The Union also said it is in the final stages of delivering an amended constitution that will reduce the concentration of power in the office of the Chairperson and devolve key responsibilities to regional heads.
“We are very keen on promoting equity and broader accountability across the sport. We believe with the new constitution we will be able to achieve all these,” she added.
The board has also formally accepted the resignation of KRU’s former Chairman, Alexander “Sasha” Mutai and extended their appreciation for his service. “We thank Mr Mutai for his contribution to the game and wish him well in his future endeavours,” said Okach.
Featured image courtesy of: Daudi Were
