Kenya sevens team paid salary arrears
Kenya Rugby Union (KRU) has finally paid the Kenya Sevens management and the players their two-month salary arrears.
The union has also committed to paying their July salaries on time but the Kenya Sevens high performance programme remains suspended until the Union’s board meeting on July 29 that will give direction.
Team manager, Steve Sewe said the Kenya Sevens management met director in charge of squads and elite training, Oscar Mango and development manager, Michael “Tank” Otieno on Thursday.
The Union officials also met the Kenya seven players on Friday to discuss the happenings in the team.
The players’ contracts end July 31 while the contracts of some members end on August 31.
South Africans, deputy coach, Vuyo Zangqua and strength and conditioning coach, Graham Bentz’ contracts end in September 2016.
BOARD MEETING
“We told them why we addressed the press conference on Friday July 10. We felt our problems were not being tackled as a team and nobody was listening to us,” said Sewe. “We have been told to wait until the board meeting to know our fate.”
Sewe accompanied by Zangqua, Bentz, Kenya Sevens captain Andrew Amonde and his deputy Collins Injera last week told a press conference that they would not resume training since they had not been paid their salaries for three months.
On Tuesday this week, the Union ordered Zangqua and Bentz to leave the country saying they would be recalled when Kenya Sevens high performance programme has been reorganised.
However, the South African tacticians declined to leave saying they still had contracts with Kenya Sevens ending in September 2016.
Kenya Sevens was to start preparations on Monday this week but the players and team management stayed away from training.
The wrangles between Kenya Sevens team and the Union could jeopardise Kenya’s preparations for the 2016 Rio Olympics qualifying tournament due November in South Africa and the 2015/2016 World Rugby Sevens Series that get underway in December.