Safari(com) Sevens: The Future
Safari Sevens (or Safaricom Sevens) as a rugby event leaves a lot to be desired for the diehard rugby fan and those who want Kenya’s standing in the 7’s circuit to improve. This is not to say that die hard rugby fans don’t appreciate the tournament, on the contrary, we love it! It’s just that we’re tired of seeing mediocre teams compete in the tournament for close to 15 years.
Over the past 3 years, our national 7’s team has matured and improved by leaps and bounds. It’s therefore no surprise that the national 7’s side has won the Safari 7’s title for the last 3 years running – a feat that has never been achieved by any other nation or team at the tournament. This improvement can be attributed to a more professional approach in coaching and team management methods, and a dedicated team of finest 7’s rugby players on the planet. In fact, so drastic has been the improvement, that it now obvious we lack the local technical knowhow to take this team to a higher level (a top 3 placing in the IRB 7’s World Series). It is unfair to demand for better results from the entire team, if the coaching approach remains the same. Like a famous scientist once said, “We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them…” our national 7’s team cannot improve if they continue using the same approach – we need a new kind of thinking (or approach). Both on a technical and financial level. The popularity of the Safaricom 7’s tournament is clear indication that our country is ready for, at the very least, a semi-professional rugby league. Towns/cities like Mombasa, Nakuru, Kisumu and Eldoret can also host tournaments which have the potential of drawing massive crowds like those witnessed last Saturday. They already do so with tournaments like the famous Nakuru 10-a-side Championship, Driftwood 7’s, to name a few. The potential of creating a local version of the IRB 7’s Series is there for all to see – the social nature of the sport, coupled by the party atmosphere of a 7’s festival creates a winning formula; Nairobi and Mombasa can host 2 tournaments, with Nakuru, Eldoret, Kisumu and Nanyuki holding one a piece (kindly note that these are also the towns that attract hordes of local tourists on weekends or public holidays). If the KRU do not have the vision to do it, then a brave sports entrepreneur needs to step in and create a Super Sevens league. The fans are there for the taking and the sponsors are salivating at the opportunity of exploiting the ever growing 7’s rugby fan base.
Right now, KRU is then left with one of two choices;
1. raise the level of competition at the Safari 7’s tournament to match those of our national team (otherwise the tournament doesn’t really add value to the senior team)
2. remodel the championship into a premier, global Under 21 7’s championship
The high cost of running a top international rugby tournament make it extremely difficult for the Safari 7’s sponsorship team to raise funds to bring at least 3 or 4 of the top nations in the IRB 7’s World Series (we want South Africa [not the baby Boks], Fiji, New Zealand and Australia). This will continue to be a challenge for the tournament organizers as corporate sponsorship in Kenya hasn’t yet reached the dizzying heights usually seen in the northern hemisphere.
The other alternative would be to make the tournament a premier U 21 tournament – on a global scale! It will be much easier to convince the top rugby playing nations in the world to bring their junior sides for the championship. Furthermore, the cost would not be that high, as there would be no costs and expenses that are associated with the game at the highest level. We would like to believe that it would be easier for the KRU to convince the IRB to fund the tournament, given it would be modeled as a grassroots development championship. Finally, this tournament would also help KRU nurture future talent that can feed our senior national 7’s side.
If the Safari 7’s tournament is to continue attracting diehard rugby fans, it needs to step up its game. Whether the KRU, fans and sponsors would like to admit it or not, the Safari 7’s tournament has played a better role as a grassroots tournament, as compared to its initial promise of delivering a world class championship attracting the finest 7’s rugby playing nations. One case is point is South Africa: In the last 8 years, the Emerging Boks have been in the main cup final in 6 out of 8 occasions, winning the title twice in the process. Die hard rugby fans are tired of celebrating victories over Baby Boks – we want dance in the rain after beating the fully grown antelopes from South Africa. If not, then let our Shujaalets do battle with SA kids and leave our senior team to do battle in the big leagues.
Dettol Cool Kicks Off 2009 Sports Season
Reckitt Benckiser brand, Dettol Cool, kicked-off the high school experiential marketing calendar by sponsoring the NSSSA (Nairobi Secondary Schools Sports Association) organized championship. The traditional NSSSA season-opener, was held at the James Gichuru Road based Nairobi International School on January 17th and 18th. The event, usually organised to 'test' the new players, attracted about 20 different high schools and a crowd of about 2,000 (both days).
Welcoming the sponsorship, KSSSA (Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association) Secretary General, Mr. David Ngugi, said that it was indeed a privilege to have Dettol Cool sponsor the season-opener and encouraged other corporate sponsors to tap into high school sports marketing.
Dettol Cool Soap was launched in November 2005 and has grown tremendously in market share, distribution and in value and volume turnover in a year.
Consumers have a long standing perceptions formed about the Dettol medicated soap brand:
· Healthy individual and family
· Protecting the family and self from germs through medicated qualities
· Freshness from the Menthol aspect
Dettol Cool Basketball Championship
