Collins Injera
| Date of birth | October 18, 1986 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Height | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||
| Weight | 80 kg (12 st 8 lb) | ||
| School | Vihiga High School | ||
| University | Daystar University | ||
| Notable relative(s) | Humphrey Kayange, Michael Agevi | ||
| Rugby union career | |||
| Playing career | |||
| Position | Wing | ||
| National team(s) | |||
| Years | Club / team | Caps | (points) |
| 2014-present | Kenya | 1 | |
| Sevens national teams | |||
| Years | Club / team | Comps | |
| 2006-Present | Kenya | ||
Collins Injera (born October 18, 1986) is a Kenyan rugby player.He holds the all-time record for number of tries scored on the IRB Sevens World Series circuit with 235 . He is known for his achievements with Kenyan national rugby sevens team.
Career
Injera started playing rugby while at Vihiga High School in Vihiga. After graduation in 2005 he joined military team Ulinzi RFC playing in the Kenya Cup league. The team was later disbanded, and he moved to Mwamba RFC, a Nairobi-based team where he plays as a wing.[1][2]
Now a strong player for the Kenyan Sevens squad, Injera debuted with the team at the 2006 Dubai Sevens[3] and played in the 2009 Rugby World Cup Sevens,[4] where Kenya reached the semifinals. He became the top try scorer for 2008–09 IRB Sevens World Series season with 42 tries.[5] He also scored 210 points and finished second behind Ben Gollings of England in the individual points table.[6]
Injera has also played for the Kenya national rugby union team (15s) at his usual position blind wing (number 11), playing at the 2011 World Cup Qualifiers.[7]
In February 2013, Injera was dropped from the Kenya national sevens team and his contract was cancelled by the head coach Mike Friday. This was because of a conflict between Injera's club Mwamba RFC and the Kenya national sevens team. This conflict led to Injera missing training sessions with the Kenya national sevens team and therefore breaching his contract. As a consequence of this breach, Injera's contract was cancelled.[8]
Awards
Injera was nominated for the 2009–09 IRB Sevens Player of the Year award,[9] which was eventually won by Ollie Phillips of England.[10] Injera won the Kenyan Sportsman of the Year award in 2009.[11] In 2010, Injera was awarded the presidential Order of Golden Warriors (OGW) alongside his brother Humphrey Kayange for their performance in the 2008–09 IRB Sevens World Series.[12] Collins Injera was named Player of the final in 2016 Singapore Sevens, after helped Kenya to win their first tournament in World Sevens Series.[13]
Personal
Injera's older brother Humphrey Kayange is a former captain of the Kenyan sevens squad. Their younger brother Michael Agevi has also played rugby for the Sevens team in the past.[14]
Injera has a degree in mass communication from Kenya College for Communication Technology (KCCT).[1]
References
- 1 2 Daily Nation, Buzz Magazine, January 16, 2009: Top of the top
- ↑ Rugbyrugby.com, March 3, 2009: Mwamba's pride
- ↑ Daily Nation, January 15, 2009: Injera aims to conquer all in IRB series
- ↑ RWC Sevens 2009: Kenya squad
- ↑ "Season Player Tries". International Rugby Board. Retrieved 2008-12-07.
- ↑ "Season Player Points". International Rugby Board. Retrieved 2008-12-07.
- ↑ Heavensgame.com: KENYA BEAT CAMEROON IN RWC QUALIFIER
- ↑ Daily Nation, February 28, 2013:Sevens coach Friday says Injera’s contract still remains cancelled
- ↑ IRB, May 29, 2009: IRB names Sevens Player of the Year shortlist
- ↑ IRB, June 1, 2009 :Ollie Phillips IRB Sevens Player of the Year
- ↑ The Standard, December 12, 2009: Masai, the year’s best Archived July 16, 2011, at the Wayback Machine.
- ↑ Daily Nation, May 27, 2010: Sevens stars decorated by state
- ↑ World Rugby, April 17, 2016: Collins Injera shines to win final award
- ↑ "Fresh faces for Kenya Sevens". International Rugby Board. 26 September 2011. Retrieved 14 February 2013.