Pj Manifesto Final

8/19/2019 Pj Manifesto Final

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/pj-manifesto-final 1/5MARCH 2016

PJ

KICKING THE GAME ALIVE “550 BALLS AND STILL GOING...’’

HOW IT

ALL WENTDOWN

DEVOLUTIONOF REVENUE,IT’S A WHOLE

NEW GAME!

BUILDING ASUSTAINABLE

FUTURE -

TOGETHER

NO LONGER A

MAN’S GAME

SERVING THE RUGBY FAMILY SINCE: 1960 | PRICE: PRICELESSMARCH 2016

‘FEARLESS IS A

GOOD WORD’



Rugby has been at the center ofmy life, heart and soul sinceI was a boy. Over the years, I

have been fortunate to be involvedwith the sport on many levels includ-ing as a player, and later in manage-ment. On the KRU board, over andabove being the Vice Chair, I have heldamong other positions as Director of

National Squads, Chairman Kenya Harlequins, Vice-Chairman Kenya Harlequins, ser ved diligently as mem-ber of the Development Committeeand known to lend a hand and sup-

port to the women’s docket when called

upon. However, even though my rolehas changed over several decades notwithstanding and as maybe knownto you a few hiccups along the way,I have always and remain, above allelse, passionate about the game.

I am endeavoring to be re-elect-ed to the board of the Kenya RugbyUnion (KRU) as Vice Chairman. Ihave been following the events ofthe past year very closely, as a boardmember and I have conducted exten-sive research into the areas that I be-lieve can be improved. Te urgency inwhich I have decided to now act is inpart driven by various things amongthem the stalemate between KRU andclubs over the 10% devolution of rev-enue and the lack of sponsorship inour attractive leagues that continuesto cripple the game.

I believe that I have something tan-gible, positive and exciting to offer. Afresh, new and dynamic approach isneeded, and I will outline how thatcan be achieved firstly by voting theright people onto the board to driveforward the changes that are desper-ately needed.

My vision is to reunite Kenya Rug-by through a series of reforms that Ibelieve are critical for its success to-day and tomorrow. As such, this doc-ument aims to outline the challengesand recommend the solutions I see as

essential to ensure that Kenya Rugbyhas a secure and sustainable future.Some of these reforms will be newto you and some you may be famil-iar with already. Some are relativelyminor and some are more radical.However, taken together they conveya fundamental promise to all KenyaRugby clubs, players and fans that Iwill fight for a brighter future of ourgame.

Where I may appear to criticize theposition some KRU board membershave taken I apologies in advance,however it is simply to make the pointabout the differences in approachthat I will bring. I have no grudgewith anyone, just an intense passionfor Kenya Rugby and specifically theunique opportunity that now exists toreturn the game to the people.

Te current structure of KenyaRugby Union is broken and desper-ately needs fixing. In doing so, wemust respect the past and learn from

avoidable mistakes. It is undoubtedlya challenge but, as the saying goes,even the longest journey must beginwith the first step.

Tat first step needs to be takenright now at our AGM on the 16th Of March 2016 .

Kenya Rugby Union stands at thecrossroads and needs to decide whichpath it wants to take for the future.Under the current leadership regimethe idea of A UNIED KRU is as farfrom reality as is possible. Te clubsare so removed from KRU that theyhave become increasingly insular inoutlook.

With the release of my Manifestothe choices are very, very clear. Eithercontinue with the current dictatorial,

2

One Kenya Rugby UnionA Vision to re-unite Kenya Rugby.

Kenya Rugby Union stands at the crossroadsand needs to decide which path it wantsto take for the future. Under the currentleadership regime the idea of A UNITED KRU isas far from reality as is possible.

undemocratic approach which hasdisenfranchised the community gameor adopt a system which owes muchto the past when the clubs had more

say in the way KRU is run.Te latter path is my vision for Ken-

ya Rugby Union; the former has noplace in a democratic union of clubs.

I am also particularly concernedthat some candidates are using thenotion of ‘ A caucus of Elite RugbyClubs’ an idea that appears to pro-mote an element of exclusivity whenKenya Rugby should be trying tobroaden its appeal through a pro-gram of inclusivity. Enough tensionalready exists between Upper & Low-er ier clubs, yet some individuals inKRU have managed to find a way toincrease that tension when it reallyshould be encouraging both sides to

collaborate on designing & imple-menting a structured, player-focusedregime. Kenya Rugby should not beabout personal posturing, politickingand media manipulation.

I have been in the board, and I canconfidently state that I have demon-strated the determination of helpingclubs, however some of our leadershave been moving around spreadingfalsehoods yet they have not told youthe alternative leadership they willoffer.

We must assess each candidate’strack record and contribution to-wards their clubs and the game ingeneral. Candidates must, as part ofthe election process, present written

evidence of their competence, abil-ity, quality, leadership, integrity andexperience. In addition they mustprovide a manifesto for their term ofoffice, upon which you as memberclubs will base your decision to sup-

port a nomination for election.My Manifesto sets out what I would

like to achieve in the next 2 years:1. Club Development2. Devolution of Revenue3. Increased Revenue for the game4. Player Development Pathway I don’t pretend to have all of the an-

swers, but I am fully prepared to takeon board additional

Suggestions and constructive feed-back from affiliates to build on my

initial proposals.Kenya Rugby needs to change tosurvive

My Manifesto today addresses Ken- ya Rugby problems by offering radicalchanges that focus on:

Identifying and delivering thecorrect structures that need to be putin place to support the CommunityGame and increase participation inKenya Rugby at all levels

Building a sustainable Semi-Pro-fessional Game in partnership withaffiliates

A new governance structure whichdevolves power appropriately acrossKenya Rugby

Making the best financial decisions

to sustain Kenya Rugby

CLUB DEVELOPMENTe Nationwide, Universities and

Kenya Cup Leagues are a mainstay ofKenya Rugby and an important step-ping-stone for players, coaches andsupport staff to reach their full poten-tial. It is my belief that a revised struc-ture needs to be developed that willhelp all the leagues to become alignedwith the new semi-professional erain order to develop higher playingstandards through regular and mean-ingful competition. In the spirit ofdevolution and a return to democra-cy, I propose that a new committee

collectively representing Nationwide,Universities and Kenya Cup clubs inKenya be created to work with theKRU secretariat & the board, in iden-tifying & implementing a strategy forthe development of the Semi-profes-sional Game.

Tis strategy will include but not belimited to:

Identifying and implementingappropriate competition structuresand management

Identifying and implementingappropriate financial support tosecure and grow clubs within theSemi-professional game

creating player, coach and sup-port staff development pathways

creating relationships with upperand lower tier clubs that are fairand equitable for all clubs

solving the question of transitionfrom amateur to semi-professionalstatus, and vice-versa for clubs

THE CHOICE FOR CHANGE



supporting the growth of rugbyacross all counties in Kenya

Creating a sustainable future

Te structure of competitions forthe Game across Kenya is now settled,and it is my view that the Kenya Cupteams will continue to participate ina 14 competition in season 2016/17.Te hybrid competition system hasproved to be a success and needs torun for 3 more years for clubs and thegame to enjoy the actual value.

Tis presents a number of chal-lenges. As well as playing in a cur-rently sponsor-less competition, par-ticipants in the Kenya Cup also facethese issues:

Little or no visiting support Relatively low broadcast revenue,

exacerbated by the fact that we stillface a challenge of low numbers at

games. Te current broadcast revenue

is not trickling down to the clubs,and it is my belief that a revenueshare formula must be agreedupon between the KRU and clubs.

Relatively low interest fromsupporters, again as a result of themissing Kenya Rugby stars, In-consistent and ‘unfriendly’ matchkick-off timesImprovements can be madeI believe that there are a number

of things we could do to improve theproduct, not least of which include:

Improving the fan experience,whilst inside the grounds, live

bands, themed shows, spectaculardisplays, fireworks, crowd inter-action and much, much, morecreate a pre-match entertainmentextravaganza like no other. Fan ex-

perience will always drive numbersto the grounds.

Working with broadcast partnersto agree consistent and fan-friend-

ly kick-off times. Also ensuringthat the broadcast partner is givinga coverage that is appealing topotential sponsors.

Making the Kenya Cup leaguecompetitive by ensuring that theKRU provides technical and logis-tical support to the two clubs beingpromoted into the league

HE LIFELINE OF KENYA RUGBYWithout our Affiliates – your clubs

– we as a Union would cease to ex-ist. Many of you are struggling tosurvive. I hear that you don’t have a

voice within the Union; that your rep-resentation in the board is generallyineffectual; that your board is too far

removed, and that you lack the basicsupport (not just financially) to sus-tain your club within its community.

You are my priority! Most clubshave now enjoyed the balls from my

Kicking the Game Alive Campaign ,which has enhanced your rugby par-ticipation. I will continue to expandthe campaign for the benefit of clubs.

Increasing participationTe most recent IRB participation

statistics make grim reading for Ken- ya. Far from consolidating our posi-tion as Kenya Rugby, Rugby is headingin the wrong direction. Many schoolsare struggling to play Rugby; Miniand Junior growth is at best patchy,

and many clubs cannot field secondteams. Worst of all some clubs can-not field any sides at different timesof the season.

Te IRB participation table rates

for the top ten countries worldwide,With around 67,000 participants,does not include Kenya. Kenya is wellbelow countries such as Sri Lanka

and Japan.Clearly, increasing participationrates in all forms of rugby across Ken-

ya is critical to ensuring our gamedoesn’t just survive, but thrives.

Support where it is needed most I acknowledge the challenges of try-

ing to run mini, junior and youth sec-tions as well as the conflict of interestbetween clubs, schools, represen-tative age groups and colleges. I amfully aware how difficult it can be tosecure appropriately trained and ex-perienced officials for matches, not tomention pitch-side medical supportand equipment. Helping the Commu-nity Game to flourish is no easy task

and I promise to do everything in mypower as the Vice Chairman to givethe support it desperately needs.

PLAYER DEVELOPMEN PAHWAY

Te two key principles would be tohave

1.) A performance pathway – Anelite performance pathway produc-ing Semi-Professional Players2.) An aspirational pathway- Al-lows every player to reach his orher potential

Key Recommendations Keep as many players participat-

ing in clubs & schools as possibleby providing opportunities

Identify those that have the po-tential to progress to the elite level Deliver specialised training to

players of potential to ensure earlydevelopment of skills and under-standing

Provide a “safety net” to catchlate developing potential players

De-clutter club/school & repre-sentative rugby fixtures

INCREASED REVENUE IN HE GAME

We must focus on a massive in-crease in our total revenue, byre-aligning our full match day pro-grams. Key areas of focus will be insponsorship, hospitality and cateringas well as increased attendances at

matches. Engaging a ticketing part-ner, is of urgent need to enable KRUcollect revenue in advance. Concertsand non-match day events which canbring in revenue must now be lookedat as alternate revenue earners. Ibelieve we can deliver a significantgrowth in rugby through a sound fi-nancial investment model.

FINANCES Devolution of Revenue- Te Heartof the Matter

Te KRU’s financial performance isat the center of this need for change.Its policies have resulted in severe fi-nancial difficulties being experienced

at all levels of the game in Kenya. Itis a complex situation and for thepurpose of this document the issuescannot be explained in detail here.In summary, however, despite a re-cord increase in revenue of 300m in2013-2014, the KRU has not devolvedfunds or any subsidy in kind towards

the development kitty of clubs. Te10% devolution of revenue, plusequipment to clubs is a NON NEGO-

TIABLE!

MY PRINCIPLES, Excellence inSporting Governance

As with any sport, people in highprofile and managerial positionshave a great responsibility to upholdnot only their own reputations, butalso that of the game as a whole. Itis therefore absolutely crucial thatBoard members display the higheststandards of integrity, not only inwhat the Board does but also in thewider environment of Kenya Rugbyand of Kenya as a nation. It has beenunfortunate that, some of our leadershave used their positions to tarnishthe name of others for political mile-age. Unfortunately this only brings

the game to disrepute and scares thesponsors. Te bye laws must be en-forced to safe guard the reputation ofthe game.

A role model for World Rugby I will work with my fellow board

members, if elected as your ViceChairman, to ensure that the

Board of the KRU will adhere to thefollowing principles:

o understand and evaluate therole it plays and the way it can con-tribute to Kenya Rugby at all levels

o set the high-level strategyand vision for Kenya Rugby andensure that it is followed –without

becoming involved in the opera-tional delivery o be open and accountable to

its membership, and its actionsshould stand up to scrutiny whenreasonably questioned

o be aware of the internationaland domestic sporting worlds andposition Kenya Rugby appropri-ately

HE FUURE OF HE GAME

Te rise of Rugby 7sI believe that there will be explosive

growth in Rugby 7s worldwide, bothfor men and women, fueled by its in-clusion as an Olympic Sport. Indeed,I would not be surprised if we will see

some countries go as far as to give upthe 15-a-side game to concentrate onthe Rugby 7s World Series and theOlympics. Kenya must continue topursue the dream of hosting a leg ofthe Rugby 7s World Series and win-ning an Olympic medal. Te game of7s must be the key focal point in de-

veloping players for 15s and a revenueearning product for Kenya Rugby.

No longer a man’s gameWomen’s 7-a-side rugby will con-

tinue to grow rapidly and will be morepopular and widespread. Kenya Rug-by will have the correct structures in

place to support the growth of Wom-en’s 7-a-side rugby in Kenya as weendeavor to transition into 15-a-siderugby. Te sport will no longer be a“man’s game”; our perspective willhave evolved in line with the rapidevolution of women’s roles in societyand in general.

3

I believe thatthere are anumber ofthings we

could do toimprove theproduct.

LET MY EXPERIENCE, WORK FOR YOU



4

Vote PJ! A Good Leader must be a Great Servant

KICKING THE GAME ALIVE CAMPAIGN



5

Kicking The Game Alive! campaign has enabledseveral clubs enhance their quality of participation in the

game of rugby in Kenya. This season we have distributed arecord 550 balls and still going strong. “When they promisewhat they will do for You! Ask them what they havedone for you.” Some of the beneficiaries of the campaignthis season are

Nondies RFCKisii RFCKenya Harlequins Impala Saracens Maseno University Mwamba RFC Shieywe Thika RFCTechnical University of

Kenya Catholic University

Kabras Kisumu Rugby Club Homeboyz KCB Rugby Club Blak Blad KEMU Nakuru Rugby JKUAT Western Bulls Strathmore University Bungoma Rugby Club Mean Machine UON

Stormers Bungoma Sharks COMRAS Webuye KCA Multimedia Nazarene United States International

University Eldoret Rugby Club Mombasa Rugby Club

KEMU Egerton University Moi University Masinde Muliro University Kakamega Rugby Club Siaya Rugby Club Daystar University Embu Rugby Club Makueni Rugby Homa Bay Rugby Club Kenya Women’s 7s

“WHEN THEY PROMISE WHAT THEY WILL DO FOR YOU, ASK THEM WHAT THEY HAVE DONE FOR YOU.”

Documents

Pj Manifesto Final