The rise and rise of Kevin 'Bling' Wambua

Kenya Sevens deputy coach Kevin "Bling" Wambua names the final team for the World Rugby Sevens Series in Hamilton and Sydney in Nakuru on January 15, 2020.

Photo credit: Francis Mureithi | Nation Media Group

What you need to know:

  • Injury in his playing days thrust the Kenya Sevens assistant coach into management at a rather young age but he plunged in like a fish to water to collect accolades at school, club and even international level, and he is not done yet

Trust rugby coach Kevin “Bling” Wambua to always be looking at ways improving players skills, wherever they may be, whatever the circumstances.

“As the world waits for the cure of this deadly coronavirus pandemic there is likely to be plenty of time in players' hands in the coming months. I would highly advise them to dig deep in archives and watch videos of matches that can help them improve their skills,” Wambua, who is the Kenya Sevens deputy coach, says.

The season has of course been suspended because of the virus pandemic that has brought elite sport to a standstill.

The Hong Kong and Singapore legs of the World Rugby Sevens Series, originally due in April, were pushed back to October.

The London and Paris legs have been postponed, provisionally until September, and the women’s leg in Langford has been postponed until later in the year, as has the final World Sevens Challenger Series event.

The 2021 Women rugby World Cup qualifier between Kenya and Colombia on the April 18 has also been postponed due to fears over the coronavirus.

And on Friday, no less than World Rugby chairman Bill Beaumont hinted that it may not be possible to hold international matches this year meaning no competitive fixtures, a tough preposition for elite players.

“These are truly challenging times but as rugby players we cannot afford to relax. We must do personal exercises at home as we religiously do self-quarantine as we still have some national duties to do once this pandemic is over,” said Wambua.

The amiable coach, at just 34, is the youngest tactician to occupy the high profile position in the history of Kenya Sevens.

NURTURING TALENT

Wambua, who is destined for greater heights, has an eye in identifying young talent and nurturing it.

“There is pressure for young players to contribute more and hopefully we shall rise to the occasion and bring good results in the World Sevens Series when the international season resumes.

Wambua’s early experience as youth coach allowed him to sharpen his coaching skills which have earned him big assignments since he started professional coaching in 2009 while still the captain of Mwamba.

Wambua says discipline is the key to success in rugby and there are no short cut.

“The values you create and how you carry yourself as a player off the pitch creates your team values and that creates performance on the field,” says Wambua.

“You have got to work hard, be disciplined and you’ve got to respect the game and fellow players. The game is bigger than any of us. If we exit the stage tomorrow, somebody would take our place and that is why we need to leave this space a better place than we found it.”

“Little things like disrespecting your coaches, fellow players and other members of the technical bench can contribute to how you go about you play on the field. If you respect things and have the right spirit of values, you might not land at sin bin at certain time, for example, because you understand that respect for your teammates is paramount.”

Wambua sees discipline and unity as the key to success for the national team and clubs hoping to stay at the top of the game.

“Rugby is not an individual sport. It’s about building the unity and being sure you’re all pulling in the same direction. If you can be a team player inside and outside the field with good actions and attitude all the time, you can keep the team’s winning spirit high all the time,” he offers.

YOUTH RUGBY

On Kenya’s rugby development programme, Wambua underlines the need to invest in youth rugby.

“We’ve got some real work to do and although as a country we are on the right track there is more to do to build a strong foundation and the answer lies in youth development.”

But how did he land the coaching job at such a young age?

His route to coaching came rather fortuitously. He got an injury when a player with Mwamba.

“I got an ankle injury while training and was out of play for three months,” he recalls.

“I am a hands on person and despite the nagging injury I refused to sit at home.”

And as he was contemplating what to do during his free time, Tito Oduk - who is the director for rugby at Mwamba - introduced him to coaching.

“We did our Level One coaching clinic as a team and after passing the test he gave me an opportunity to coach the Mwamba second string team which I guided to the semi-final of the annual Mwamba Cup.”

“That is how I started coaching. I had never dreamt of one day becoming a rugby coach at that early stage of my career.”

ATTENDED COACHING COURSES

To stay abreast he attended advanced coaching courses and he is one of the few coaches in Kenya who have honed their skills under the hands of New Zealand national team coaches.

“I learnt how they develop their rugby teams from early stages of 12 years and I picked valuable lessons which I keep using to transform the local game.”

He has also attended an advanced high performance talent optimisation coaching course in South Africa aimed at bridging the talents at age grades in 2013.

“In South Africa, I learnt valuable lessons on the challenges associated with age groups. The training gave me tips on how to handle young and upcoming players and that is why in my short career I have discovered plenty of rugby talent in schools,” he said.

His rising star as a junior coach at Mwamba attracted the management of Peponi Preparatory School who offered him a part-time job to coach rugby.

In 2012, more coaching opportunities came his way. He accepted a coaching offer at Laiser Hill Academy.

“That was my first stable job as a coach and it was a blessing because it opened up more windows for me as I was appointed the Kenya Lionesses and Daystar University head coach,” he said.

His arrival at Laiser Hill Academy was a game changer for the institution that went on to clinch coveted national titles at the Kenya Secondary Schools Association (KSSSA) competitions.

Laiser Hill Academy won the national rugby school title in 2015 in Nakuru and the regional title that year.

Laiser went on to dominate the schools sevens and 15s competition during his tenure.

“At one stage, I was handling three teams and it was a demanding job to balance interests as all the teams were looking upon me to steer them to victory. It was not an easy task as I had to plan cleverly.”

Wambua, who is single, reveals that having great mentors such as Oduk on his side helped him overcome the many challenges he encountered.

“On this journey I owe a lot to my great mentors — Oduk and John Mbayi - who laid a strong foundation and taught me how to plan my time well and execute my tight schedule without knocking the ball.” s

Wambua, whose father Larry, also played rugby, has uncovered scores of talent.

His discoveries are today calling the shots at top rugby teams in the country such as Kenya Commercial Bank, Homeboyz, Kenya Harlequins and Mwamba.

“The happiest moment of any coach is to see the boys he nurtured making good use of the skills by progressing from school to clubs to international rugby.”

Some of the Kenya international players who have passed through his hands are Johnstone Olindi of KCB, and Daniel Taabu of Mwamba who are in the Kenya Sevens squad.

Other players include William Difu (Kabras Sugar), John Daniel Gichuki, Danson Madigo (Homeboyz), Joel Inzuga, Christopher Asira, Kevin Kerori (Mwamba).

“Seeing players I coached climb the ladder to become national stars motivates me and keeps me going,” said Wambua, who has an advanced diploma from Kenya Institute of Management.

And how did he get the nickname “Bling”?

It has everything to do with the meaning of the word. Bling is a slang term for fancy, expensive jewellery and accessories.

The story goes that during his Mwamba playing days he was a rather flashy guy with them chains and rings. He was one of the few players who had pierced his ears and inserted studs, as he fancied. He was also a guy who really glossed over his looks and dress. But the name Bling really stuck because, at that time there was also another player at Mwamba called Kevin. So, to differentiate between the two, Wambua was called Kevin “Bling”, and the name stuck.

“I used to dress sharply and on every time we met at the training I had different chains which attracted the interest of my colleagues and made them happy as they were shining extraordinary and they unanimously decided to call me bling bling,” Wambua offers.

Enough of shining ornaments. Wambua says his most memorable moment as a player was when he captained Mwamba to win back-to-back Kenya Rugby Union National Sevens title in 2007 and 2008 and Impala Floodlight in 2009.

“Mwamba has always been known as sevens giants and I am delighted we maintained that during my tenure their,” said Wambua.

In the coaching arena, he says his highest moment was last year when the national sevens was facing relegation in Paris but the team put up a gallant fight to drew against Australia, lost to South Africa and recovered to beat Wales to qualify for the quarter-finals.

“It was a do-or-die match because we were staring at relegation but we won and stayed in the circuit.”

Winning Soya Team of the Year award twice with Laiser Hill Academy and Team Sport of the Year award with Kenya Lionesses, qualifying for Gold Coast Commonwealth Games and beating Australia are some of the other highlights of his short coaching career thus far.

Another memorable moment as a coach, says Wambua, was beating South Africa back-to-back and winning the women’s African Cup last year.

“We had lost the women’s title in our five appearances but in the sixth appearance I guided the team to victory by clinching the African title.”

His exploits in the game saw Wambua nominated for 2018 Soya Coach of the Year. “These are big achievement in my coaching career,” said Wambua, who played for Kenya Under-19 and was also a Kenya Simbas trialist.

Having been in the national team as a player is it easy to handle one as a coach?

“It’s not easy because there is a lot of expectation and a lot of pressure for good results and if you’re not careful you can spend sleepless nights and live a stressful life.”

Some of the players who have left a lasting impression in his developing career include Collins Injera and Andrew Amonde.

He says the future of rugby in Kenya is bright and cites Kenya Under-20’s first ever victory over Namibia in the Barthes Cup and the women’s team qualification to the Tokyo Olympic Games.

Wambua, who is a great admirer of former New Zealand head coach Stephen Hansen and his deputy Scott McLeod, says the corporate world should support Kenya Rugby Union’s efforts to spread the game at the grass roots levels for Kenya to produce the quantity and quality of players that will take the country to the next level.