Kababeri Sevens Rugby Tournament lands new sponsor

New mineral water company Halisi have come out as one of the sponsors of the Kababeri Sevens Rugby Tournament. P.J. Gichuru, the company's representative dealing with sports said at a media luncheon hosted by tournament organisers Mwamba RFC that the company has already given the Kabeberi Sevens Organising Committee Kshs 45,000.

Halisi came into being in November 2001 and has since moved into 150 retail outlets, including supermarkets, chemists, bars and restaurants. The company aims to cover all of Kenya and enter the Tanzania and Uganda markets.

"This is our first rugby tournament but we are not new to sports having sponsored a ladies' Easter Monday Golf Tournament," said Gichuru.

Meanwhile it was announced that Colgate Palmolive had donated Ksh 55,000 and the Natural Heritage Pub Ksh 90,000. The tournament's main sponsors are Glaxo Smithkline, who have given an as yet undisclosed amount. Other sponsors on board include the Klub House entertainment venues, with a donation of Ksh 75,000 which was presented to Mwamba Chairman David Mshila by Mr. Karuri of Klub House.

"The Klub Houses are about fun and rugby is about fun and we are proud to be associated with the event," said Karuri.

Wananchi Online will set up a cyber cafe at the tournament venue, the Rugby Football Union of East Africa ground.

Jimmy Thande of Wananchi said that Wananchi had supported Mwamba for the last two years, having designed them a web-site.

"As an indigenous company we support indigenous sports and will run a cyber cafe as a free service to all participants and visitors to the event," said Thande.

Mwamba pride themselves in being a rugby club whose aim is to pomote the sport among Kenyans.

Other sponsors include Bio Medica Ltd.and Balls Out! Rugby Suppliers from the U.S.A. Balls Out! are the official sponsors of Patriots RFC, one of three foreign teams arriving for the event. The other two are Uganda Kobs and Burundi Lions.

Mwamba coach Mwangi Muthee, said that Patriots, although from a country where rugby is not as popuklar as some other sports played there, like American Football and basketball, will bring a strong team. Uganda will bring a competitive squad under the banner of Kobs becuase they cannot bring a national squad to a tournament in which nations' sides are not competing.

The Burundi team comprises both French expatriates living and working in Burundi and South African peacekeeping forces in the troubled area. The Burundians will also bring a ladies' team, which will play a Kenyan ladies' side which has been training under Muthee in four demonstration matches.

"In rugby there are no shortcuts," said Muthee when prompted to answer a question about the seriousness of the ladies' efforts.

"When you don your kit and step on the pitch you can expect serious business," said Muthee.

There will be, in addition to a Shield competition for teams knocked out in the Bowl Quarter finals in accordance with International Rugby Board rules for sevens tournaments this year, eight individual players' trophies. The winning team will carry home Ksh 35,000 and the runners-up Ksh 25,000.