Kenya rugby sevens players beg fans for upkeep money

Kenya rugby sevens players have taken to Twitter to ask fans for upkeep money after going for three months without pay.

The players have shared a link to a fundraising platform where fans can send money.

The Kenya Rugby Union has not responded on the tweets.

One of the players, Billy Odhiambo, said the players were still keen to play on the Dubai and Cape Town legs of the IRB Sevens World Series.

Another player, Willy Ambaka, said their "lives and those of our loved ones have been greatly strained".

Head coach Damian McGrath had earlier told journalists that the "last couple of months had been so difficult".

He added: "We are fighting to find a field we can train in, the gym is not fit for purpose and yet the country is expecting us to go out there and go toe to toe with rivals."

Kenya have played at the past five Rugby Sevens World Cups, reaching the semi-finals in 2009 and 2013.

This article originally appeared in BBC News

Photo: Getty Images

Blessing Mwangi