Kenya Simbas confirmed for  South African Currie Cup

Kenya Simbas confirmed for  South African Currie Cup
Kenya Simbas skipper Daniel Sikuta during a past training session. PHOTO/Raymond Makhaya

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, Feb 21 – The national 15s side Simbas has been confirmed for the South African Curries Cup competition this year.

The tournament comes as a perfect opportunity for the Paul Odera side to prepare for the 2023 World Cup qualifier.

Joining Kenya in the second tier of the South African Curries Cup is Georgia and Zimbabwe, the South Africa Rugby announced on Monday.

They will join seven local teams in a single-round competition, which kicks off on April 1 with the final scheduled for June 24 or 25.

The three national teams hope playing at least nine matches in South Africa can boost their chances of qualifying for the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France.

Kenya SImbas in action against Zambia in a past match. PHOTO/Raymond Makhaya

Kenya and Zimbabwe will field full-strength teams in the Currie Cup, but Georgia must rely on local-based stars as many first choices are unavailable due to club commitments in France.

Georgia lead the 2021-2022 Rugby European Championship by nine points from Romania and the top two finishers secure World Cup places.

Kenya and Zimbabwe are among eight countries playing in the 2022 Africa Cup in France from July 1 with the winners qualifying for the World Cup and the runners-up entering an inter-continent repechage tournament.

ALEX ISABOKE

ALEX ISABOKE is a seasoned multimedia journalist with an impressive track record spanning over a decade in the field of sports journalism and is currently the Sports Editor at Capital FM. Beyond his successful broadcasting and digital career, Alex has made significant contributions to the sports community, serving on multiple committees dedicated to enhancing the sports landscape. He has covered all major international sports from Olympics/Paralympics, FIFA World Cup, NBA-All Stars, World Athletics Championships, AFCON, WRC and many more.