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GAME LIVE! | 5 Patrice Agunda in Kenya Cup Action for Kenya Harlequin Against Bitter Rivals Impala /Photo/OSBKE

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GAME LIVE! | 5 Patrice Agunda in Kenya Cup Action for Kenya Harlequin Against Bitter Rivals Impala /Photo/OSBKE DEC GGAAMMEE LLIIVVEE!! 2020 PATRICE AGUNDA Staying competitive in business and rugby PHILA THE LIONESS One on one with Philadelphia Olando NONDIES FINDS A NEW HOME WORLD 10s SERIES FOREWORD Dear Readers IFirsNtly, as always, let me thank you all for taking time to read our small magazine. Let me also thank the partners who have supported us by providing advertising content to reach a wider audience. We all hope we can resume active rugby as proposed by the League Committee Tand urgeH all to strictIly adhSere to laid down and best practice protocols to keep our players and officials safe. This will for sure provide us with more content and colour for the magazine. IIn thSis editionS we thankU guest wriEter “Ortice” for his quick trip down a long memory lane and we encourage other writers to reach out and we can feature your work in Game Live. Let me take this opportunity to wish everyone a Good Christmas as we look forward to a much better 2021. Thomas Odundo Director of Rugby Kenya Rugby Union GAME LIVE | 2 IN THIS ISSUE EDITORIAL 05 PATRICE AGUNDA Staying competitive in "In this month's edition,we get to sit down with Patrice business and rugby Agunda who shares insights into rugby and entrepreneurship. 13 PHILA THE LIONESS One on one with Kenya Lionesses skipper Philadelphia Olando We also chat with Lionesses captain Philadelphia Olando and learn more about Nondies move to their new home 19 NONDIES FINDS A NEW HOME venue. Felix Oloo's transition from player to coach Our regular rugby for beginners segment also features this 24 KRU HOSTS INDUCTION month. FOR SECURITY TEAM Veteran rugby man rests Enjoy the publication and feel free to give us feedback via email [email protected] 26 WORLD 10S SERIES Kenyan stars victorious in Bermuda 29 RUGBY FOR BEGINNERS Michael Kwambo & Wambui Mumbi Kenya Rugby Union GAME LIVE | 3 PATRICE AGUNDA Elite rugby player, businessman Patrice Agunda in previous sevens action for Kenya When you walk into the Kenya Harlequin club He remembers his first interschool match house every afternoon during training days, where he gave all his defenders hand offs you are guaranteed to find Patrice Agunda in primarily because he didn’t know how to pass the gym doing his extras. If he isn’t there, the ball. rest assured he is on his way as has been his habit over the years. “When some of the seniors led by Oliver Mang'eni saw me play, I received a request to In the thirteen years he has been a Kenya join the school team and that’s how I took Harlequin player, his rugby growth has been this sport seriously.” impeccable and it birthed the idea to start a business of his own, something he’s always His rugby profile started taking shape while wanted to do; be his own boss. in form three when he was included in the Nyanza team taking part in the 2006 Safari Patrice, who has played for Kenya at all Sevens Schools competition. representative levels (U20, Sevens and Fifteens) started his rugby journey in form two at St. Mary’s Yala. GAME LIVE! | 5 Patrice Agunda in Kenya Cup action for Kenya Harlequin against bitter rivals Impala /Photo/OSBKE POST HIGH SCHOOL JOURNEY Once Patrice completed his high school studies When it came to his education, Patrice had a in 2007, he joined Nondescript RFC before well thought out plan where he dedicated moving to Kenya Harlequin. himself to his rugby club for two years after which he approached them and asked for In typical Ngong Road banter, he added that financial support for his academics. something about Impala just didn’t seem fit for him. His father was a lecturer at University of Nairobi and that meant that he had a certain On his first day at the Quins’ ground, he found percentage of the school fees covered and the likes of Victor Sudi, Chris Oduor playing all Quins’ needed to do was cover the rest. touch and was excited since these were some of the players whom he had idolized while in Seeing how good he was, the club went school. ahead and agreed to pay his fees and he studied Psychology.o Chris Oduor asked him to join the team training and later that evening he learnt that there was a gym available in the same premises. From that moment onward, he has never looked back. GAME LIVE!|6 Patrice Agunda in 15s action for Kenya against Uganda in Nairobi LESSONS FROM RUGBY INSPIRATION TO VENTURE INTO BUSINESS “Patience is the one thing I can confidently say Agunda, was a regular on the national sevens rugby has taught me,” said Agunda. team, Shujaa, for close to five years between 2011 and 2015, playing regular on the HSBC He has learnt that one needs to be very Sevens World Series. patient with their teammates because it’s for the greater good of the team when everyone It was during one of the series tours where he fully understands their role both on and off noticed the variety of boots available, something the pitch. He also added that being selfless is that was scarce back home. another thing rugby has taught him. That was the beginning of his business, Bijon “As a rugby player, you learn to look at the Brands Africa and Fanatics Boots. bigger picture. You may find yourself given the smallest role in the team but that shouldn’t At first, he only shared pictures on social media dampen your spirit because at the end of the for people to look at and not really make a sale day, you’re playing a role that’s helping the but later, he slowly started selling to the few whole team.” These values are also relevant in who’d ask for the shoes. our day to day activities. GAME LIVE! |7 Kenya's Patrice Agunda takes USA's Zach Test in past HSBC Sevens World Series action His time with Shujaa ended in 2015 and when The more I shared photos, the more clients I his sister asked him to look for an internship, started getting and along the journey, I it was a gentle nudge to start focusing on his learnt of the many other things I could do business formal employment has never been based on the questions I got from my an idea he entertained. clients.” “I’ve always wanted to live on my own terms Patrice started off selling sports shoes and and this is why I chose to start a business,” he attires and his business has grown to added. merchandising and business development. Going back to his online shop, he was The growth came through his keen ear determined to share photos of what he where clients would ask if he was able to intended to sell regardless of whether people brand items for them and he always knew bought the products or not. just the right person to help him out. The relationships he has made with people “I was determined to do my part, which was have been very impactful on his journey. posting all the photos of items I had. I didn’t care if people would buy them or not, I just “I love listening to clients because it wanted to put everything out in the public. presents an opportunity for me to learn new things. “he added. CHALLENGES, ADVICE AND FUTURE PLANS Capital is always a challenge when starting your own business but his daily mantra is this, “you can’t lack capital and a business idea if you claim to be an entrepreneur.” He believes that if you lack capital, you can and should identify those who would support your business idea, go pitch to them and await their feedback. Your character will also play a role in their willingness to support you, that’s why Patrice is very vocal about how one behaves off pitch. “There are very many businesses I have transacted without money and the reason for this is that those I worked with, trusted me to come through.” He said. Being a business man means that Patrice has people looking to him for their salary. Patrice Agunda in full flight/Mid-Ego In times when the business has had a rough month, he ensures that he has means to “I also learnt that the way I carried myself on pay his staff even if it means he gets and off the rugby pitch played an integral role nothing.. in getting clients for my business. This is propelled by his willingness to Rugby builds character and this is something listen to his people and put himself in their some of us forget, character isn’t just about shoes. That gives him a better how you perform on the field, it’s about how understanding of their point of view thus you behave off pitch when making him work harder to ensure they are interacting/relating with different people. all paid their dues. We need to use our playing years as a stepping Popularly called “Kamau” within the rugby stone for the greater things ahead of us. fraternity, Patrice notes this name was given to him because of his ability to However good you are as a player, never let it deliver a service or product within the get to your head so much so that you start promised time. being proud and thinking that others are beneath you. He plans on expanding his business exponentially in the years to come and is Learn to be humble even in victory.” also considering working on his coaching credentials and will use them later in life.
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