Collins Injera, Second Top Try Scorer is Coral Coast Rugby Tournament Ambassador
Injera currently holds the position of second all time leading try scorer on the World Sevens Series, a feat that still surprises him. Part of his plans as McDonald’s Fiji’s Coral Coast Sevens Ambassador is to share how he achieved his goals.
Collins Injera, Second Top Try Scorer is Coral Coast Rugby Tournament Ambassador
He came by his record as a top try scorer in rugby sevens quite accidentally but once he realised it was possible, Kenyan legend, Collins Injera kept setting small goals to get him to the top of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series.
It is quite possibly his biggest message to rugby players, to make small goals and keep working to make them a reality. It is a message that the Nairobi resident will bring to Nadroga in Fiji when he comes in January 2023 for the McDonalds Fiji Coral Coast Sevens. The tournament will take place from January 12-14, 2023.
Injera currently holds the position of second all time leading try scorer on the World Sevens Series, a feat that still surprises him considering he did not even know what rugby was when he was a teenager at the Vihiga High School in Vihiga, Kenya. He is second only to England’s Dan Norton. The Fijian with the most points scored is Jerry Tuwai at number 20.
“It doesn’t matter where you come from, so long as you dream but once you have your dreams, you must set your goals. But work towards mini goals that will make you ultimately achieve your dream.You must stay true to your dreams by being disciplined and focused on it,” Injera said.
“You’ll be able to achieve anything because although nothing good comes easy, everything comes with a bit of sacrifice, it’s just a matter of what you’re willing to sacrifice. I also want to make it clear to aspiring rugby players to not beat themselves down when things don’t go their way. Don’t ever talk down upon yourself because everybody has a piece of this cake.”
Injera represented Kenya in Rugby Sevens at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics which were held in July and August 2021, becoming one of only a handful of players across the globe to have played in both the 2016 and 2020 Olympics.
A key player for the Kenyan Sevens squad, Injera debuted with the team at the 2007 Hong Kong Sevens and played in the 2009 Rugby World Cup Sevens, where Kenya reached the semi-finals. He became the top try scorer for 2008 /2009 IRB Sevens World Series season with 42 tries. He also scored 210 points and finished second behind Ben Gollings, the current Fiji Sevens Coach who was at the time a member of the England team.
Injera has also played for the Kenya national rugby union team (15s) at his usual position left wing (number 11), playing at the 2011 World Cup Qualifiers and also represented Kenya at the 2018 Rugby World Cup repechage tournament in France.
Injera was nominated for the 2008–09 IRB Sevens Player of the Year award, won the Kenyan Sportsman of the Year.
As Ambassador of FCC7s, Injera will travel to and stay in Fiji for one week during which he will meet and greet the many Fijian rugby fans who love Kenyan rugby but he will also be part of the McDonald’s Rugby Skills Clinic for aspiring rugby players.
Tournament Director Jay Whyte said the McDonalds Fiji Coral Coast Sevens, which was returning in its first post-COVID tournament, would be made bigger and more exciting by Injera’s inclusion.
“All the rugby greats who accept the invitation to be FCC7s brand ambassador are legends in their own right and we work very hard with multiple local partners for months to make their visit possible. It is a great privilege to be able to bring Collins Injera and continue the trend of having a brand ambassador who will inspire. I think we all need and deserve some exciting international rugby and FCC7s 2023 will do that,” Mr Whyte said.
Like other rugby greats before him who have been a part of McDonalds Fiji Coral Coast Sevens, Injera will unveil his own plaque on the RugbyTown Walk of Fame. Sigatoka, referred to in Fiji as a rugby town for the number of rugby union stars who originated from the Nadroga province where the town is located, hosts a strip of public footpath hosting the footprints of inspirational players such as Waisale Serevi, David Campese, Ben Gollings, Viliame Satala, Jonah Lomu, DJ Forbes, Karl Tenana, Lote Tuqiri,George Gregan and Rupeni Caucau.
During the three days of sevens action in the McDonalds Fiji Coral Coast Sevens competition, Injera will also be engaged in off the field cultural and sporting activities, some of which means he will interact closely with the leadership of some of Fiji’s top teams who must win local competitions to enter the McDonalds Fiji Coral Coast Sevens.
“Teams who take part in this tournament endure huge challenges to be able to compete in what is the biggest and possibly hardest tournament in the region so it is very exciting to be able to make it worthwhile for these players to be able to meet and hear the Collins Injera story from the man himself,” Whyte said.
“It is awesome to have the calibre of a player like Collins Injera join us here in Fiji, it’s testament to the high esteem that the McDonalds Fiji Coral Coast Sevens is viewed by the rugby fraternity.”
Whyte also paid special gratitude to the tournamen’s naming rights sponsor McDonald’s Fiji for its continued long term sponsorship of the Sigatoka tournament and to Fiji Rugby Union whose support has enabled Injera’s first visit to the nation.
McDonalds Fiji Coral Coast Sevens works with the tourism industry and partners quite closely with the Coral Coast Tourism community to ensure Injera like other international rugby visitors before him, will get into the five star luxury accommodation at Outrigger Resort, enjoy local fun and culture with a Sigatoka River Safari and even sneak in a quick round of golf at Natadola Championship golf.
Asides from Fiji always having been the formidable opponent every rugby playing nation aims to beat on the World Sevens Series, Injera explained the excitement at coming to find out for himself just what it was like to be in a country where the talent pool was so huge, was the main appeal.
“I mean, it’s one of those places you’d love to witness the sevens game being played and see all the local talent you guys have. I mean, from the stories we hear, you have a massive pool of local guys who play very good, very good sevens. So for me when that opportunity came it was just one of those things you always hear about and want to know where it came from, I mean the passion is big in Fiji. But just coming to Fiji to see that it’s a beautiful nation; I’ve seen flyers of Fiji and the beaches look amazing so it’s always one of those places I would also love to visit.”
Injera said he had to experience for himself the rumours he had heard from other players and from friends that he had fans in Fiji.
“So they always tell me you don’t know how much you are known in Fiji one day, you should make a point of coming to Fiji. That is amazing and it’s one of those things that I’ve always wanted to do, to come here and see for myself so yeah I’m pretty excited.”
Injera was nominated for the 2008–09 IRB Sevens Player of the Year award, which was eventually won by Ollie Phillips (rugby union) Injera won the Kenyan Sportsman of the Year award in 2009. 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.[11] Collins Injera was named Player of the final in 2016 Singapore Sevens, after helped Kenya to win their first tournament in World Sevens Series.
For more information, visit http://fijicoralcoastsevens.com/ or Contact: Tournament Director, Mr Jay Whyte Media & Public Relations Manager, Ms Lice Movono
SOURCE: PRESS RELEASE 11 August 2022
