Rugby has for long been a sport associated with men but for Melody Kamau, it is just like any other.
The 23-year-old University of Eldoret student is on a mission to demystify the sport and hopes more women will embrace it.
“Society has a perception that a woman playing rugby is masculine, which is not true. You remain a woman. Rugby is just like any other game,” Melody says.
She is currently the UoE Women’s Rugby Team (Trojanesses) captain.
But even as she hopes to get more university female students into the sport, there are a number of hurdles she is facing.
One of them is the fact that most university students, especially girls, are never exposed to rugby while in secondary school.
“It is hard to get players who have the motivation as they did not play at secondary school. At the university, there are also many challenges and rugby is a sport that needs high discipline,” notes the Trojanesses captain.
Melody reveals that she was attracted to Rugby because of the brotherhood that the players usually show to each other.
Lack of funding
However, she laments that women’s rugby teams have not been given the attention it deserves. Men’s rugby teams usually get the preference.
“Women rugby teams usually struggle to get sponsorship. At times we lack funds to enable us to travel for our games. Some of our male counterparts also usually discourage us from continuing playing,” says the 23-year-old player.
But despite all the challenges, Melody has remained steadfast, pushing towards achieving her goals.
She has set getting a call-up to play for the country women’s rugby national team – Kenya Lionesses as her target.
“I hope one day I will be in the Kenyan national rugby team, representing the country in regional, continental and global competitions,” says the 23-year-old rugby player.
Physical well-being
Aside from her love for rugby, her involvement in the sport has also contributed to her general well-being – physically.
Melody says through rugby, she has been able to improve her health due to daily exercise. Playing for the University of Eldoret Rugby team has also seen her travel to places she should never have reached as well as enhance her network.
“If it was not for rugby, I would never have imagined doing regular exercises but my body is now healthier. I have a network of many people gained through travels, and I have also seen places many have not seen,” she said.
Melody is now challenging women interested in joining rugby not to be cowed away by myths around it.
She wants them to ignore those talking negatively about women playing rugby.
“You will not be playing with men, but fellow women. Rugby is a sport that will ensure your mind remain sober,” Melody says.
