Rural Kenya Gets Rugby Bug thanks to Army
Major Richie Crane has been involved in rugby for some 50 years as a player, coach and organiser but says the last three years using the sport to make a difference to the lives of some of Kenya’s least fortunate children and young people is “the most fulfilling sporting thing I’ve done.”
He is with the British Army Training Unit Kenya (BATUK) and, with Dennis Gem, one of BATUK’s local employed civilians, he has managed to make the area they are in a real rugby hotbed.
Three hours’ drive north of Nairobi, Nanyuki is about as rural as it gets but since Richie was posted there in 2018, he and Dennis have seen their rugby sessions go from strength-to-strength.
“The kids are absolutely phenomenal,” he says. “They come from several orphanages and walk for an hour to have an hour’s rugby and then walk an hour back again. Developing the rugby with the kids and working with Dennis has just been amazing. We've done a lot in this time and it’s been great.
Getting kit together
There are coaching sessions and tournaments held in Nanyuki, including an women’s sevens tournament, a youth touch tournament, despite conditions. There is an open ground multi-use pitch with posts made from three wooden poles, which recently received protector pads thanks to a donation from Richmond RFC.
“Dennis has got balls and kit donated by other people, which is stored across the community,” Richie explains. “Some kids bring balls, someone brings tackle shields, someone brings cones. It’s a true effort from everyone involved.
“Then to see the kids run barefoot or in crocs, and the turn of pace they have, the hands, the enthusiasm, encourages you to keep wanting to do more and more. And we make sure that we take fruit and water as well as our coaching gear and staff because otherwise they would have nothing to eat or drink around the rugby.
“We help to fund taking the kids down to the coast for a beach rugby tournament and get them involved in other little tournaments. This will always be supported by BATUK, but it’s also dependent on the enthusiasm of the people in post.”
BATUK is the biggest employer within Nanyuki, but the relationship between the Army and local community is much more holistic than simply monetary, Richie says.
“BATUK community engagement is a massive thing. You get that right, it builds relationships, and people can look at the good that BATUK does. When we’ve got engineers on exercise they’ll go into schools, sort out sewage works, put in water pipes and raise money that we then put back into these less privileged people.
Build it – they come
“We get our local employed civilians involved in sport, in PT, we provide them with a job which then puts them and their families into a better position. But it takes time. You have to plant a seed, gain the trust, and then it’s a bit of a ‘Field of Dreams’ moment where “if you build it, they will come”. The first training session might be a dozen people, but when others hear how good it is then suddenly you have 40 or 50 and are unfortunately having to cap the sessions so it doesn’t become unworkable.
“The three commanders that I've worked with in the three years have all been very much on side, including the current Colonel, Duncan Mann, who is very supportive, watching some rugby, speaking to people, getting involved with the kids and then presenting the trophy.”
This also extends into the BATUK and local civilian teams sharing playing resources.
“Because a lot of the kids go off to education, they only get a few games,” Richie explains. “While the Nanyuki Jackals enter a league playing other universities they can struggle for players, so we register BATUK players to play in the team. We also play as a BATUK team. Whenever we play Dennis will always bring the younger kids along so they can watch a proper game.”
Girls are shining on the pitch
Nanyuki’s girls in particular are shining on the national stage. Some of 15 to 16-year-olds play in an U20 ladies league and are on the verge of selection for the Kenyan national team, having benefitted from the coaching from BATUK personnel.
“The guys who come out are engaging with this early, some coming out to play, and we use their experience from playing and their enthusiasm to be involved and utilise them wherever we can. We’ve got a group from Kinloss presenting some Under-7 and Under-14 kits from Kinloss RFC, and a box arrived recently from East London rugby club, my son’s rugby club. They sent out some strips which are about to go to Uganda, where we are sending two sevens teams.
“So East London rugby club will be representing BATUK via the Nanyuki girls down in Uganda! The kids are so grateful for any strips we can get, and it’s fantastic.”
Maj Crane’s posting comes to an end in February 2022, and he says: “I love seeing the benefits for the kids and getting some of the other guys involved. Hopefully, we can find someone who can continue what I’ve been doing with Dennis once I leave next year.
Donations can be sent to Maj Crane via BATUK., just email richard.crane627@mod.gov.uk.
