Former Kenya 7s player, Collins Injera cited a poor transition plan and divisive management as the reason why Shujaa 7s was relegated from the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series after 19 years.
Injera was critical of how the management handled the transition process from the experienced players to incoming ones.
Speaking on the SemaBox podcast, Injera highlighted how the management botched the transition period that left the team in limbo when the experienced players exited the stage.
“The problem is how we handled the transition. Because we have been maintaining a couple of guys who have been there for long like me, I have been there for long, (Andre) Amonde, Oscar Ouma, but we kept ignoring the middle group. The link between the most senior guys and the younger guys.”
Injera added that whenever new members were brought on board, they were not given time to settle in, which adversely affected the team.
“Every time they develop, somehow something used tohappen and before a season, they get kicked out. Then they bring in fresh guys, talented yes, but because they did a few runs in the local circuit. So, suddenly every year in the team, we are teaching basics; touching, passing, tackling and by the time they get it, it is towards the end of the season.
“Then those guys we taught, at the beginning of the season, they are not there again. Then we are being brought new players. Suddenly every year, it’s the same cycle and as much as you say you are maintaining some crop of guys, it was not enough. We needed this middle group that has been there in the team.”
He further accused a former coach of dividing the team by pitying experienced players against the upcoming ones citing it as a reason for poor performance.
“There was a time the senior and younger players were pit against each other and suddenly, there was a rift,” added the second all-time top scorer in World Rugby Series with 279 tries.
“Because when guys who were in charge of the game that time come and tell the senior guys; ‘The junior guys don’t want you in the team because they feel you are controlling them.’ Then they go ahead and tell the junior guys; ‘The seniors are saying they don’t want you in the team because you don’t listen and do stuff’.
Injera revealed of the coach’s malice when one of the junior players approached the seniors during an Olympic Tournament questioning them why they were against the rookies.
“Suddenly, there is a big rift, we did not actually realise it, until when we went for the Olympics that’s when one of the younger guys was bold enough and came and told us; ‘Hey, how come you are telling the coach that we are the ones pulling you down?’ and we were surprised.
“That is when we realised that the coach at that time was the one pulling the team apart. When guys discovered what was happening, suddenly, everything wasn’t working. The junior guys have so much power that they don’t even listen.”
However, he failed to reveal the identity of the coach in question and left the audience wondering.
Shujaa participated in two Olympic tournaments when Injera was an active player – 2016 in Rio de Janeiro under the late Benjamin Ayimba and 2021 in Tokyo coached by Innocent Simiyu.
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