World Rugby and Super Rugby referee based in Cape Town South Africa Rasta Rasivhenge graced the “I also play Referee” session held in Kapsabet Boys High School. The session was held after the Kenya Rugby Referees Association finished their High Performance camp conducted by Rasta in Kapsabet.
Rasta was accompanied by Rugby Africa’s Regional Development Officer and GIR Coordinator JohnBosco Muamba, KRRA Hon. Secretary Alfred Okwemba and KRU’s Training and Education Coordinator Malik Ndemi. The students who took part in the session are currently in the play stage of the Get Into Rugby Program and the session was a beyond impact activity held after the Match Officials HP Camp in Kapsabet.
The “I also play referee” program uses rugby values to bring up better adults, give the opportunity to kids to become better players (better knowledge of the rules) and helps to discover talent in officiating rugby.
“It’s a program that introduces young players participating in the Get Into Rugby program to officiating. I play also referee was initiated by the late Jean-Luc Barthes, the former World Rugby, Rugby Services Manager for Africa. The Program has been running since 2012. The kids were very motivated, the liked the program and were encouraged and were challenged by having to play referee,” said JohnBosco.
Lorence Ishuga, a 19-year-old graduate of the program, who cleared High School last year officiated the 2019 Kakamega 7s School’s final and the Division One 13th place semifinal on Sunday 21st July.
“Refereeing at such a top level gives such a great feeling. I joined the program back in 2017 under the guidance of JohnBosco Muamba and Lamech Ongati, the Regional Development Officer in Rift Valley,” said Ishuga
