Former Kenya Cup side South Coast Pirates have appointed Englishman Andy Ball as their new head coach as they step up preparations for the 2026/27 season.The Kwale-based club confirmed the appointment on Wednesday, August 12, with Ball becoming only the second foreign coach to take charge of a Kenyan rugby club. Kabras RFC’s South African head coach Carlos Katywa remains the other foreign tactician currently coaching in the country.##NAJAVA_MECA_9883764##In announcing the appointment, the club expressed excitement about what it described as a new chapter for the Pirates.“We are delighted to welcome Coach Andy Ball as our new head coach,” the club said in a statement.An experienced coach from Wokingham, England, Ball began his rugby journey playing in the south of England with Wokingham, Overton and Basingstoke before transitioning into coaching.His coaching career has taken him across the globe, with stints in Düsseldorf and Rheindahlen, Germany, before moving to China. While in Hong Kong, he earned his coaching qualifications and later coached both men’s and women’s teams in Nanjing, where he held his most recent coaching role.Kenya’s road to three youth AFCONs takes shapeBall said his priority is to build a united squad capable of competing together and representing the club with pride.“I come with a simple objective: to build a strong, bonded squad of players and technical support that enjoys their rugby and fights for the South Coast Pirates,” he said.The English coach brings international experience to the role, having played for clubs in the south of England before moving into coaching roles in Germany with teams in Düsseldorf and Rheindahlen.He later relocated to China, where he obtained his coaching qualifications in Hong Kong before coaching both men’s and women’s teams in Nanjing.Ball takes over a Pirates side that came close to securing an immediate return to the Kenya Cup last season.Rwanda secures CECAFA Kagame Cup hosting rights for next two editionsThe coastal outfit finished third in the 2025/26 Kenya Rugby Union Championship standings with 38 points after winning eight of their 11 matches and losing three. Their strong campaign earned them a place in the promotion playoffs, but they fell short after losing to Homeboyz Rugby Club, delaying their return to the top flight.With a new coach at the helm and promotion once again firmly in their sights, South Coast Pirates will hope Ball’s international experience can help guide the club back to the Kenya Cup.