Decorated Kenya 7s ex-captain Amonde eyes coaching job
KCB Rugby flanker Andrew Amonde celebrated his official retirement from international rugby by hosting a dinner party for his former teammates, family and friends at Sankara Hotelon Saturday night.
KCB Rugby coach Curtis Olago, Kenya Sevens head coach Innocent Simiyu, former Kenya Sevens coach Mike Friday and Kenya Simbas former captain Brian Nyikuli were among the speakers who paid glowing tribute to Amonde.
Also to speak were former England Sevens captain Rob Vickerman during the dinner sponsored by Dream Believe Achieve (DBA) Africa and Safaricom.
The 37-year-old, who captained Shujaa duing their triumph at the 2016 Singapore Sevens, will still play for Kenya Cup champions KCB Rugby as he looks forward to transiting to coaching.
“This marks a good beginning to another new phase of my rugby career,” said Amonde, who has now been engaged by BDA Africa Rugby Academy.
“I have done World Rugby Level I coaching course and am looking forward to completing level II.”
Amonde noted that his main desire was to finish his international career on a high and managed that by captaining not only the Kenya Sevens team at the Tokyo Olympic Games, but also Team Kenya.
“I have served my time...and that is growth. You play your part and pass it to the next generation to continue,” explained Amonde, adding that he has served the country well and diligently for 15 years.
“There is a big difference in terms of standards to when I embraced the game and now,” said Amonde, who was tossed into the world of rugby right after high school in 2004, and went on to establish himself as an astute all-round player by earning 50 international caps in 15s and over 70 international caps in sevens.
Amonde said DBA Africa inducting him into their Rugby Academy is a great honour and an opportunity to continue serving the game.
He would like to see rugby players’ welfare improved and the standards of rugby raised to the next level.
Amonde’s sevens journey, which started at the George Sevens in South Africa during the 2006/2007 World Rugby Sevens Series, hasn’t been easy.
He overcame all the odds to captain the team for the 2013 Rugby World Cup Sevens semi-final, the historical 2016 Singapore Sevens victory, the 2016 Rio and 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.
Perhaps winning the 2016 Singapore Sevens, their maiden victory in the World Rugby Sevens, highlights Amonde’s sevens rugby career.
“Amonde is that special kind of player. He is the most skillful player I have ever played against and coached right from our days at Kisumu Rugby to date. He is a great warrior,” said Olago.
"He has the knowledge and capability to take this country's rugby to the next level."
