Brenda Kayiyi
11 February 1987
Height: 5’1
Weight: 55.5kg
Brenda says … the day before the tournament I was so scared. i had never played in an international 7’s tournament before and kept thinking about the games I would play the next day. I found it very hard to sleep. I started our first game (against Zimbabwe) while shaking but when someone passed me the ball I opened out on the wing and ran. A Zimbabwe player grabbed me and I stopped so that I could offload the ball. Just as I was about to pop the ball to oncoming support I realized that she had released so I bolted for the try line. When I crossed the try line the only people chasing me were my teammates so when Helen pointed to the centre posts I did not hesitate to run there and score. It was the first try of the game and my first international try. That chased away the butterflies I had and I was able to play comfortably.
After our 2nd game of the day against Botswana I was so confident and relaxed such that when the team manager told us the ice bath was waiting i actually rounded up my teammates and headed to the changing room. My teammates were shocked to see kayonjo and Helen jumping into the icebath first (although Helen only put in her legs) then me following shortly after. I don’t know what it was but I was so sure we were going to qualify that not even the icebath could scare me. Our final game on Saturday was against Tunisia. They were good but I knew we could beat them. We played so well in the first half and the Tunisians did not get out of their 22 but we were not patient enough so we did score. It was 0 - 0 at half time. Helen scored in the second half but they equalized soon after. Despite their captain getting a yellow card the Tunisians scored again and converted it so the final score was 12 – 05. I cried after that game and I have never felt so bad. I could not believe we had lost. I was so happy when we were told that we were going to play the Tunisians again in the semifinal. We would revenge!
My roommate, charlotte, had got concussed in the game against Tunisia. She really wanted to play the next day and I could not imagine us playing without her. I made charlotte drink water all through the night hoping that her headache would go so that she would be allowed to play. In the morning, Charlotte said she felt fine so I told her to borrow head gear from Helen as I knew Helen always carried 2 of them. After she borrowed the head gear she came back to the room and went back to sleep wearing it. I knew we were going to win (although we found out later that charlotte was not allowed to play).
In the semi final we put the Tunisians under a lot of pressure but kept missing our chances. We finally scored and Helen converted it: the half time score was 07 – 00. This time it was me who got a yellow card in the second half. A Tunisian player had broken through the defence line and I made a desperate tackle from behind. Unfortunately it was a high tackle so I was sent off for 2 minutes. I wanted to cry. I felt I had let the team down. I watched in misery as the Tunisians put pressure on my teammates but they defended so well. Words cannot describe how I felt when the final whistle blew. I collapsed onto the ground and although people tried to make me stand my legs were too weak. It took a few minutes before I could get up and join my teammates and our fans celebrating.
I am so grateful for the coaches, team managers, doctors and my teammates who made this dream possible: especially mutaks and soggy who believed in me and put me on the team and Helen who kept on encouraging me and pushing me and teaching me new skills.
Lady Cranes, let’s not relax, we are not yet there. We stop in dubai.
11 February 1987
Height: 5’1
Weight: 55.5kg
Brenda says … the day before the tournament I was so scared. i had never played in an international 7’s tournament before and kept thinking about the games I would play the next day. I found it very hard to sleep. I started our first game (against Zimbabwe) while shaking but when someone passed me the ball I opened out on the wing and ran. A Zimbabwe player grabbed me and I stopped so that I could offload the ball. Just as I was about to pop the ball to oncoming support I realized that she had released so I bolted for the try line. When I crossed the try line the only people chasing me were my teammates so when Helen pointed to the centre posts I did not hesitate to run there and score. It was the first try of the game and my first international try. That chased away the butterflies I had and I was able to play comfortably.
After our 2nd game of the day against Botswana I was so confident and relaxed such that when the team manager told us the ice bath was waiting i actually rounded up my teammates and headed to the changing room. My teammates were shocked to see kayonjo and Helen jumping into the icebath first (although Helen only put in her legs) then me following shortly after. I don’t know what it was but I was so sure we were going to qualify that not even the icebath could scare me. Our final game on Saturday was against Tunisia. They were good but I knew we could beat them. We played so well in the first half and the Tunisians did not get out of their 22 but we were not patient enough so we did score. It was 0 - 0 at half time. Helen scored in the second half but they equalized soon after. Despite their captain getting a yellow card the Tunisians scored again and converted it so the final score was 12 – 05. I cried after that game and I have never felt so bad. I could not believe we had lost. I was so happy when we were told that we were going to play the Tunisians again in the semifinal. We would revenge!
My roommate, charlotte, had got concussed in the game against Tunisia. She really wanted to play the next day and I could not imagine us playing without her. I made charlotte drink water all through the night hoping that her headache would go so that she would be allowed to play. In the morning, Charlotte said she felt fine so I told her to borrow head gear from Helen as I knew Helen always carried 2 of them. After she borrowed the head gear she came back to the room and went back to sleep wearing it. I knew we were going to win (although we found out later that charlotte was not allowed to play).
In the semi final we put the Tunisians under a lot of pressure but kept missing our chances. We finally scored and Helen converted it: the half time score was 07 – 00. This time it was me who got a yellow card in the second half. A Tunisian player had broken through the defence line and I made a desperate tackle from behind. Unfortunately it was a high tackle so I was sent off for 2 minutes. I wanted to cry. I felt I had let the team down. I watched in misery as the Tunisians put pressure on my teammates but they defended so well. Words cannot describe how I felt when the final whistle blew. I collapsed onto the ground and although people tried to make me stand my legs were too weak. It took a few minutes before I could get up and join my teammates and our fans celebrating.
I am so grateful for the coaches, team managers, doctors and my teammates who made this dream possible: especially mutaks and soggy who believed in me and put me on the team and Helen who kept on encouraging me and pushing me and teaching me new skills.
Lady Cranes, let’s not relax, we are not yet there. We stop in dubai.
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