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:: kenya to contract players:.

Rugby players will be contracted by the Kenya Rugby Football Union (KRFU) to participate in the 2003-4 International Rugby Board (IRB) World Sevens circuit starting next month.

This will be the first step towards introducing professionalism in the country.

"We are going to contract Sevens’ players for the IRB circuit, and to start with, we are looking mainly at those players who are not employed," the union chairman Richard Omwela said yesterday.

Omwela said giving players contracts will allow them play on a full time basis and will catalyse improvement in all aspects of the game. "Contracts will enable players to concentrate on and give everything, to the game," said Omwela.

Omwela said Kenya Sevens team is prepared to play in the seven IRB circuit tournaments.

He said Kenya will take up the challenge from the IRB and go out to improve their World Sevens standings. Kenya finished ninth in the 2002-3 IRB World Series after participating in three tournaments.

Kenya has this season been invited by the IRB to take part in all the circuit tournaments except the Singapore Sevens slated for April 3-4.

"They (IRB) has recognised us at last, so this means that there is no room for hiding and we’ll give good account of ourselves," said Omwela.

Kenya will first take part in the Dubai Sevens set for December 3-5 in Dubai, United Arabs Emirates (UAE) and the South African Sevens fixed for December 12-13 in George, South Africa.

The other circuit tournaments that Kenya will take part in are, Wellington, New Zealand February 6-7, Los Angeles, USA February 14-15, Hong Kong March 14-15, Bordeaux, France May 28-29, London, England June 5-6.

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