In some circles, I’m the wrong guy to talk about Kenyan Rugby, let alone Mike Friday. After all, the last time I ever went to a Kenyan rugby match was in campus. I was dead drunk and had no clue what was going on in the stadium. I thought the only beautiful thing about rugby was all the beautiful women who had to be looking at me.
But in a country where football means that you throw stones at cars and support a team from another country to the point of suicide, the success of the Kenya Rugby 7′s team has been like manna from heaven.
It’s no wonder that I became a fan. Sure a couch fan but still a Kenyan who thought that at last, we had team officials who had the good of the country at heart rather than their own personal welfare.
Alas! I should have known better. Kenya ina wenyewe (kenya has its owners) and fly by night fans like me and millions of Kenyans do not matter. What matters is that Mike Friday is a white man who came to Kenya and doesn’t follow instructions from the under achievers in Kenyan rugby. So his leaving of course did not make fly by night fans like me very happy.
Let me be honest. I know very little about the Kenya rugby exclusively boring fratenity, but if there’s one thing I know, is that I can smell shady behavior from a Kenyan 50 miles away. And thus far, Kenyan rugby officials seem and look shady.
Let’s take a look at what has been going on lately.
Mike Friday was Not the Right Coach for Kenya
No I did not say that. I’m paraphrasing one Okore Luka MK. He wrote a very interesting blog about Mike Friday’s exit. What was interesting were the reasons and cope outs given by the fellow. He must be a high up in Kenyan rugby circles, I wouldn’t know. Maybe I should know people.
These are some of the reasons he gave for Mike Friday’s incompetence.
Excuse NO. 1:
i) His budget was unsustainably (sic) high for KRU
Friday was an England international who played for, captained and coached the England 7s team. One cannot compare Kenya and England when it comes to the amount of resources it can pump into rugby 7s, let alone rugby in totality. In fact Coach Friday pointed out that in many occasions, promises to fund some of his programmes were just that, they were never honoured. I’d simply say that money wasn’t just available. Friday was nurtured into professional rugby in plenty; Kenyan rugby is yet to experience plenty. Source Okore Luther blog
So let us now blame Mike Friday for our poverty and lack of proper planning. This argument reminds me of some kids we went to high school with who used to say that because their parents were poor, they could not pass exams.
A truer version of this excuse is to be found here
There was a big gulf between what Friday demanded and the financial resources available. Aware that the exact picture would make Friday reconsider his taking up the job, the board, represented by Jalang’o, gave information in dribs and drabs.
Many elements in the programme were amended. For instance, residential camps at Kasarani were replaced with day camps at Braeburn School (Garden Estate). The poor information flow appeared a lack of transparency, causing him great tension. It was probably unbearable when the whole approach begun in the new season. He preferred to leave…
What this writer is saying is that, the Kenya Rugby Board intentionally lied about their capabilities to Mike Friday. They were playing a game of fake it till you make it. Then after their lie was apparent, they blamed the messenger for not understanding that they were poor africans who just got free T-shirts from Kenya Airways.
Excuse No. 2
ii) He was not keen at developing the future of Kenya 7s Rugby
Without any fear of contradiction, Friday did very little to raise emerging and talented players. In fact, Bill Githinji, a former Kenya 7s tactician (1999 – 2005) when responding to Friday’s sacking said:
“Friday used the players he had exceptionally well, but we have to remember that most of his players were already experienced from playing at top level for a couple of years. I don’t think he set up enough systems in place to help in the development for the future. “This placed the board in a precarious position and they had to eventually make a decision given that they also have their mandates.”
Wow. So now he didn’t love Kenya. It’s amazing how these rugby officials can now start blaming the fact that Friday wasn’t in Kenya 24 hours and going to Galileos with them in tow as a systematic failure on his part. You have to wonder if they hired the fellow or his evil twin.
They knew he wan’t going to be in Kenya full time when they hired him. I also think that the work of developing rugby in Kenya is on the Rugby board and not the rugby 7′s manager. But what do I know. These fellows have the powers to measure the love one has for stuff. I could sell that on facebook.
Mike Friday explained it better comparing his arrangement with that of the New Zealand team.
SNA: Some say you are only in Kenya for a maximum of one week while you should be with the team always, what do you say to this?
Friday: I think people spin this to create a message to suit! .So we are all clear we run a similar performance cycle model to that of New Zealand on a 6 week cycle.
Also consider that the players are amateur and are at University and have jobs and as such have other commitments to their time apart from rugby.
I do not live in Kenya that is accurate, but with the nature of the season as I have said we follow a very similar model to that of New Zealand so have as much interaction and contact with the players as Gordon does.
I’m still waiting for the New Zealand team to fire their coach. But they probably have better things to do than create silly excuses.
By the way, who is Bill Githinji?
You have to wonder if there was no meeting by the negative elements in Kenyan rugby when you read the very same statement from another fellow.
“Look, Friday found that the Kenya Sevens team had been to a Rugby World Cup semi final and had previously been deeply embedded in the top ten teams of the IRB circuit. We had been to a final in a tournament. What is the conceptual difference in this season’s performance?” poses Benjamin Ayimba, former Kenya Sevens captain and coach. “For me the main thing about this season was that we were always fighting about one thing or another in the media glare”
I would be forgiven for thinking that the above two sentiments were not written by the same person but in a different language.
Excuse 3:
Mike Friday was Samurai Sports and Samurai Sports was Mike Friday
To put this in context for those who don’t know Kenya. There is a disease called “eating” in Kenya. This is how it works. I work very hard to become a board member of a nondescript outfit, company or even political party. After you become a board member you then insist on “eating” from every contract that comes your way.
Heck. I’m not saying that is what happened. I would never insinuate that about anyone without proof. I’m sure none of the board members at KRU is associated with any of the companies contracted by KRU. I’m sure that they have never thought of “eating” from such arrangements.
That is why it bothers me to ask, why they thought Mike Friday was doing the same. It’s hard to imagine some things if you have never done them. But it’s interesting to see that Kenyan rugby fans are suspicious especially after Friday’s problems started with Samurai vs Gilberts UK.
Within the same breadth came the sweetener to the deal which was that the shirt sponsorship deal with Gilbert’s would be dropped and English sports apparel makers, Samurai Sports would be the new shirt providers. No clear details were given on how this sourced, whether there was a tendering process and quotations made available. It is also said that Jalang’o had business interest with the local operations of Samurai Sports who made the deal possible.
Oi, Kenya! The problem in Kenya is that one can never know who’s “eating” or not. If allegations have been created by those “eating” or “not eating”.
From my vantage point as an uneducated part time Kenyan rugby fan, all I can see is pettiness within the Kenya Rugby Union. And just to prove me right, twitter was alight with Mike Friday vs Ollows vs some funny comments from one Ben Anyimba (expected more from this guy and so did Kenyans on Tweeter)
"@benayimba: @KenyaRugby247 what are we searching for?another unpatriotic guy to come for a season &bolt without a care?" – Ayimba very sad
— Mike Friday (@MikeFriday09) August 5, 2013
I have seen Mike Friday on TV but never heard of this Ollows.com fellow. According to his website, he continues to work as head of development at Kenya’s most successful ball sport organization – Kenya Rugby Union (KRU)
I’m rather biased. I believe that the KRU is an organisation in a lot of problems if the conversation on twitter below is to be believed. For some reason, someone in the KRU board decided that he can behave as he did with a former employee. In public….
@Ollows_Rugby read all your rugby ramblings &till now kept my council on you..You simply come across as unknowledgeable &bitter like ur mob
— Mike Friday (@MikeFriday09) August 3, 2013
Apologies @CharlesGacheru but I have endured @Ollows_Rugby and his ramblings for too long now. @Maitamei
— Mike Friday (@MikeFriday09) August 3, 2013
After seeing this conversations on twitter, I tend to believe Mike Friday when he says, that he couldn’t work with these people. But like I said, who cares, its only Kenyan rugby, I’m better off watching American football now. Thank you zuku.
Good luck Mike Friday. You were a cool dude working with some “interesting” fellows.
The post Mike Friday Exit Exposes the Rot in Kenyan Rugby appeared first on Msema Kweli.