23/09/2020
YOUR STORY: Nicholas Mwenda ; Moi University Rugby Captain
1. Who is Nicholas Mwenda?
Nicholas mwenda is a 23 year- old undergraduate student from Moi University pursuing a degree in Building and Civil Technology.
I am a hard working individual and the Moi Arsonists rugby team captain.
2. When did you start playing rugby and how did it all happen?
I started playing rugby back in 2012 in form one at Nkubu High School.
I was jealous of how the senior students were going out almost every weekend.
On one Monday, I approached the school rugby tactician and he advised me to turn up for training and give it a try.
I loved passing the ball around and with my relatively small body frame, I slotted directly to the halfback position. But I
had to work hard to contain the physicality of the senior players.
3. You are the captain Moi Arsonists. How did it happen and what have you achieved with the team?
When I joined Moi university in 2016, I met one of my highschool teammates Tony Khadambi. With the help of the then captain Brian Sinei, his assistant Eugene Omondi and Tony, I sharpened my skills and cruised to first team.
Together, we scooped the 2016 Chebarus 7s, won KUSA Rift 7s at Annex in 2017 and finished 2nd runners up in the KUSA Nationals held at JKUAT that same year. We also clinched the Dala 7s Division Two title in Kisumu.
It is after this that my teammates noticed my ability to mobilize players, and in 2018 voted me as captain.
4. What motivates you as a leader and what challenges have you encountered?
The desire to win. I am glad that I led them to winning Koitalel and KwaNgwaru 7s last year as well as finishing third in KUSA Nationals in December. I would also love to play for Menengai Cream Homeboyz some day.
Financial constraints has been a great challenge especially in away games, forcing us to give walkovers. Then the academic timetable also a times gives sports a limited time. I also suffered a concussion during training in 2019 , and was forced to stay out for a month.
5. What is your advice to youths who want to venture into sports?
I can tell them that playing any game starts with individual discipline. The greatest lesson I have learnt in rugby is that discipline and hardwork comes in handy with everything that you do in life
