First Kenyan referee to officiate at IRB Series on how rugby has evolved since the 90s

Friends School Kamusinga Chief Principal Paul Weloba has reflected on how rugby has evolved from the 90s to the modern era.Download our Mozzart Sport app for more newsFrom playing with little more than endurance and sheer resilience to officiating on the international stage, the former player, coach and referee has witnessed the transformation of Kenyan rugby from multiple vantage points.Weloba was among the pioneers of rugby at Friends School Kamusinga before joining Kenyatta University, where he played for Blak Blad. Today, he is the principal of Friends School Kamusinga, bringing his rugby experience full circle.Inside Kenya Rugby’s plan to transform Kenya Simbas and 15s rugbyReflecting on the modern game, Weloba cannot help but marvel at how much stronger and better prepared today’s players are.“Right now, you cannot play rugby with these kids. They will kill you!” he said with a laugh.But behind the humour is a serious appreciation of how far the sport has come, particularly in player preparation, conditioning and welfare.##NAJAVA_MECA_10012301##“During our days, we just did endurance; there was nothing like conditioning. I would leave Kenyatta University and jog all the way to Githurai every morning. Over the weekend, I would go to Kasarani and do a 42-kilometre endurance run,” he recalled.Training was largely built around developing stamina, with little of the structured strength and conditioning that has become a cornerstone of modern rugby.“When you came back, Michael Tank would be there taking you through those catch-ups. If you were injured, they would pour water on you, and you would get back on the pitch,” he said.Friends School Kamusinga's plan to build a rugby dynastyThe contrast with today's game is stark.“But there is a total difference now. These players have strength and conditioning, gyms, and proper structures. They have tapes and all the support they need. For us, it was simply a question of falling, having water poured on you, getting up and playing again,” Weloba explained.##NAJAVA_MECA_10012303##One of the biggest changes Weloba has witnessed is the growing emphasis on player safety.In his playing days, concussion management was virtually non-existent, with injured players often expected to return to the field regardless of the severity of their injury.“There was nothing like checking for head injuries. You got a concussion, and you were back on the pitch,” he said.Former Nairobi Polo chairman offers solution to growing rift between Kenyan rugby clubsWeloba carries a personal reminder of those days.“I still have a problem with one of my eyes because of an injury I suffered during my playing days. One day I was hit and got a concussion. A stretcher came, I was taken off the pitch, they fanned me and told me I was okay, and I went back in. I did not know they were actually making things worse for me,” he said, pointing to his eye.##NAJAVA_MECA_10012305##For a generation of players, injury was simply considered part of the game.“You find that most of us could not play for very long because there were no proper structures. Nowadays, you hear that a player has been ruled out for two weeks so that they can recover properly. We never had that. You were injured, and you played,” he explained.Weloba believes the evolution of sports science has fundamentally changed rugby, making it both more demanding and safer.Andy Cole Omollo details challenges of adapting to life in Japan“Right now, sport has become scientific and safer. The game has grown faster than the people managing it.”Weloba's influence on Kenyan rugby extends well beyond his playing and officiating career.As a coach, he enjoyed considerable success in school rugby, particularly at Kakamega High School, where he guided the side to East Africa Rugby 15s titles in 2012 and 2013 after finishing runners-up in 2011.##NAJAVA_MECA_10012304##He also led Kakamega to three consecutive KSSSA Rugby 15s titles between 2011 and 2013.The school's dominance was not limited to the traditional 15-a-side game. Under Weloba, Kakamega also captured the KSSSA Rugby 7s titles in 2012 and 2013.The achievement was historic at the time, with Kakamega becoming the only school to win both the national 7s and 15s championships in consecutive years.George Nyambua provides injury update after knee surgeryHe later coached Alliance High School to national prominence, guiding the institution to its first Prescott Cup title and multiple KSSSA championships.Weloba eventually took his knowledge of the game into officiating, where he also broke new ground.He made history as the first Kenyan referee to officiate in the IRB Sevens Series, taking charge of matches in Dubai and George. His international officiating career also included the Under-19 World Cup and assignments in South Africa.##NAJAVA_MECA_10012306##Today, Weloba is a Level One coach and a World Rugby match officials educator. He also contributes to the development and coordination of school rugby through KSSSA and FEASSSA.