Kenya lined up as Champions Match opponents

NEWS: Sevens fans favourites Kenya will show off their growing ambition in the XV-a-side game after being confirmed as the inaugural opponents in next month’s Champions Match – to face the best of South African domestic rugby.

The East African nation will meet the Champion Team, consisting of players selected by fans from any of the seven Currie Cup Premier Division teams.

The match at Loftus Versfeld will take place on November 6.

"The Kenya Rugby Union (KRU) is greatly honoured by the invitation by SARU to participate in the Champions Match in Pretoria," said Oduor Gangla, chairman of the Kenya Rugby Union.

"This will be an excellent opportunity for the Simbas to play against top-notch professional opponents even as we prepare for the international Test matches coming up. The experience of such matches is truly priceless as we prepare for the Rugby World Cup qualifiers next year.

"We are very grateful to Carling and SARU for granting us this unique invitation and look forward to an exciting start to our international window matches."

As the match falls in the international window and a break in the United Rugby Championship, players from the four teams competing in the tournament are also available for selection.

"We’re delighted that our friends from Kenya have accepted the invitation," said Jurie Roux, CEO of SA Rugby.

"The pandemic and our inclusion in the United Rugby Championship presented a few challenges and it has been a Champion effort all round to arrive at this day. It’s great to have a fellow African rugby nation marking the inauguration of an event that we hope to see grow as the calendar settles down and fans return in due course."

Fans were advised that the next major announcement would see the unveiling of the Champion Team coaching and management line-up.