Building Through Every Region

Across the country, DBA Africa’s rugby academies continue to grow steadily, with each region focussing on development, competition and creating more opportunities for young players both on and off the pitch. The academy's director, Phillip Wamae, openly stressed on the fact that while tournaments and fixtures remain an important part of the calendar, the bigger focus continues to be creating structured environments where young athletes can improve, learn and gain valuable skills and exposure through consistent training and match experience.

Over the past few weeks since the term began, preparations have intensified across all regions as players and coaches build towards upcoming competitions and exchange programmes. The Rugby season is here.

DBA Nairobi Rugby Academy (Kenton College Kileleshwa) 

In Nairobi, the rugby academy sessions remain active with preparations already underway for a busy run of activities in the coming weeks. Focus has been centered around readiness for the Ndume 7s, Turi 7s and Kingsley Cup, while also preparing for the July visit from Kingsley School. The upcoming fixtures are expected to give players valuable competitive exposure while continuing to strengthen the academy’s playing structure and development pathway.

Training sessions have continued to place emphasis on game understanding, discipline, conditioning and improving player confidence in competitive environments.

Rift Valley Lakers (Nakuru Region)

The Rift Valley Lakers are also maintaining strong momentum, with players preparing for both the Ndume 7s and Kingsley Cup competitions. Alongside tournament preparations, the region is also looking forward to hosting friendly matches with Kingsley School during their upcoming visit. These fixtures are expected to provide an important learning experience for players while exposing them to different styles of play and match intensity. The focus in Nakuru remains centered around development through consistent game time, structured coaching and creating opportunities for players to test themselves in competitive settings.

Western Wanderers (Western Region)

In western Kenya, coaches have spent the last few weeks reviewing performances from the recent Black Rock tournament and the regional festival. The sessions currently taking place have largely focused on improving the technical and tactical areas identified during those competitions. Coaches are working closely with players on decision-making, communication, positional awareness and overall game management as the region continues preparing for upcoming activities. The region continues to show strong participation levels with players steadily responding to the learning process and competitive demands.

Coastal Tsunamis (Coastal Region)

Along the Coast, school rugby sessions continue across different institutions as teams prepare for the ongoing Term Two games. The weekend academy programmes have also remained active, with coaches continuing to support player development through regular training and match preparation. The region is also looking ahead to a planned festival during the August holidays, which is expected to bring together players for more engagement , exposure and competitive rugby experience. The continued growth of participation in the region remains one of the encouraging signs for the programme.

Across all four regions, the next few weeks will be important as final preparations continue ahead of tournaments, exchange fixtures and academy activities, but beyond results, the objective remains unchanged. The DBA Rugby Programme continues to focus on positively impacting young players through structured coaching, increased participation, mentorship, fixtures and opportunities that allow athletes to grow both within and beyond the game because for DBA Africa, youth development has always meant more than rugby alone.

The season we are in provides unique opportunities for our academies, we are looking forward to the cultural exchanges and networking.