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Untreated injuries and waiting for pay - the shocking truth on life after a World Cup repechage

By Chris Jones
Kenya's Adimo and Onsomu look on during the Rugby World Cup qualifier. (Photo by APO Group via Getty Images)

The question of how smaller rugby unions treat their players has been highlighted by the problems three Kenya players have faced after being injured during the Rugby World Cup repechage tournament in Marseille in November last year.

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The situation has been complicated by the KRU claiming a delay in treatment was caused by their insurance cover but World Rugby confirmed to RugbyPass that the governing body’s insurance was in place for the matches.

Besides concerns over the treatment of their players, the Kenya Rugby Union have yet to pay player allowances from the Marseille games as they are facing on-going financial problems which have also impacted on their Sevens squad.

The back-row duo of Dalmus Chituyi and KCB’s Martin Owilah and hooker Coleman Were were injured when Kenya took on Germany, Hong Kong and Canada in a bid to qualify for Rugby World Cup. The three players are yet to play for their respective clubs as surgery has been delayed following a problem with availability of surgeons and the Union’s insurance cover which ended in December.

Chituyi told Nation Sport that he is still waiting for surgery on a torn knee meniscus while KCB’s Owilah, who damaged his left knee cartilage, is not happy at how Kenya Rugby Union have handled their cases. “I am told there are issues with insurance but I think things should have been handled better,” he said.,

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In other news: Ireland and Leinster flanker Sean O’Brien to join London Irish in December

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KRU director of rugby Thomas Odundo said there have been various reasons for the delay in the treatment of the players, claiming there was an unavailability of surgical specialists and insurance cover complications. However, he revealed that Chituyi and Were due to undergo surgery and Owilah will have his procedure on February 19.

Odundo said after the tournament in France, the players could not be treated as specialists at the Kijabe Hospital were not available. “The year ended without securing an appointment since most of the doctors were only available after Christmas festivities,” said Odundo. “What complicated things is that the insurance cover for the players elapsed at the end of December last year.”.

Odundo said the technicalities have already been addressed with the insurance firm and the players will get treated with the a likely recovery period of up to five months. Odundo confirmed Kenya Simbas salaries had been paid, although match fees still had to be sorted out.”They also need to be sincere since we have paid their salaries and we shall offset their allowances immediately we get funds. As we said earlier, the Union is experiencing a financial crunch,” added Odundo.

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Jon 7 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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j
john 10 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

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A
Adrian 12 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

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