Herbert Mensah, the Rugby Africa president, has urged the Kenya government to consider more investment in sports.

In an interview after the opening leg of the World Rugby Tier 2 seven-a-side tournament, Mensah made a bold statement that Kenya could be known better for its rugby worldwide. “Can we get the government to invest more on players, men and women; invest in strength and fitness training like is happening in the top six or eight rugby nations?”

While waiting to board his flight, Mensah had a moment to record and post his thoughts on what he described as an extraordinary event. “I am happy that sports is big business. It is one thing to come up with five to 10-year strategic plans, but it is another to jump in and refresh,” he suggested.

Other Disciplines

Mensah who has past administrative roles at one of Ghana’s top football clubs Asante Kotoko bluntly asked Kenya to stop being obsessive with football and instead look at other disciplines that had a better return on investment (ROI). “Kenya could be better known for rugby. You are not going to win the FIFA World Cup but can beat New Zealand, France, and England any given day in rugby with a proper infrastructure,” Mensah said in an interview.

The Rugby Africa boss urged the government to invest in home talent and predicted an improvement by Kenya Lionesses in the next two tournaments. “Don’t be disappointed in the performance by the women. With a different technical approach, they have what it takes to beat the rest,” he advised.

Rugby Changes

Mensah admitted that World Rugby had changed in many ways especially in the shorter version of the game in reference to restructuring the World Rugby Sevens World Series. However, Rugby Africa has managed to persuade and convince the World body to have African countries such as Kenya and Uganda to host major events.

“To see the stadiums full, to see the quality, hospitality…has really brought joy to my eyes,” he stated. The immediate and long time benefit would be to invest in sports. “Invest in your game and Rugby Africa is with you,” he urged the government. 

Mensah was in Uganda last year when Zimbabwe narrowly defeated Namibia to qualify for the 2027 Rugby World Cup to be hosted by Australia. He has constantly engaged World Rugby to invest more in Africa.