Kenya Simba’s team manager Simiyu Wangila has revealed that Kenya 7s captain Andrew Amonde and Sammy Oliech snubbed call-ups for 2017 assignments.
Simiyu Wangila had slotted the duo to take part in Kenya 15s-Tunisia game, Wangila expressed disappointment at the refusal of two players to join the national 15s team.
“It is unfortunate that Andrew Amonde and Sammy Oliech, the players we groomed, have turned down the offer to play for us when we need them most. Instead, they have decided to go to Sri Lanka for the Super 7s tournament.”
Both players have had a long Kenya Sevens season and are set to enter preseason by mid-July to prepare for yet another long HSBC World Sevens Series.
Andrew Amonde is understood to have been in Jerome Paarwater’s mind as a good flanker with the absence of Mike Okombe and Dan Sikuta while Brian Nyikuli has since been dropped.
Impala Saracens second row Eric Kerre has played as a flanker for all three matches in 2017.
Sammy Oliech was part of the Simba’s squad in 2015 before crossing over to Kenya Sevens with word from the Simba’s saying Sammy Oliech was to compete for places with fullback Tony Onyango with the unavailability of Vincent Mose.
Kenya Simbas head coach Jerome Paarwater also regrets the move by the two but says they can work without them.“We had couple of guys in Kenya 7s who are part of Kenya
“We had a couple of guys in Kenya 7s who are part of Kenya Simba and went to a tournament and am happy with what I have and obviously the Sevens need to look after themselves and go where money is and we go on and play without them.”
Sammy Oliech (Impala), Nelson Oyoo (Nakuru), Dennis Ombachi (Nondies), Billy Odhiambo (Mwamba) and Andrew Amonde (KCB) have been contracted by EZY Wolves to play in the Sri Lanka Super 7s Rugby Championship set to kick off on Saturday, July 15, 2017.
