Kenyan International Rugby Player Monate Akuei yesterday joined the New York Old Blue Rugby team in the United States, a club that features in the American Premiership Rugby.
Monate Akuei was unveiled by the club and expected to steer the club from his natural backrow position. Monate is a well seasoned player after having gathered experience in the game from Kenya where he featured for Kenya's Chipu U/20 for the Barthes Cup, Kenya 7s side Shujaa and Kenya 15s side Simbas in the Elgon cup.
The 23-year old backrow's journey to the top of his playing career has been inspiring to many young Kenyans as he was born in the face of war back in South Sudan where he spent the better part of his early childhood in a refugee camp in Kakuma where him and his family landed when they were in search for peace.
After spending two years at the refugee camp in search for peace Akuei was hopeful that one day the sun shall shine on his side and turnover the hard times that he and his family were undergoing. They later moved to the country's Capital before moving to Nakuru where he began his playing career.
One of his biggest challenges while starting up, he explains, was the dire conditions that his family was under. This robbed him his training time so that he could go and make extra cash to help the family. This later forced him to join a gang mob that snatched and stole anything valuable for cash exchange.
The former Nakuru RFC player would later return to the training ground a changed person after a harsh encounter with police who shot him on the verge of stealing.This almost cost him his life but later changed him for the better.
He joined Nakuru rfc team B and later in 2016 after his highschool education at Kirobon high school he earned his spot for the clubs main side under head coach Enos Otieno. This therefore was the beginning of his top flight rugby career cause after making his name at the club he went ahead and showcased his talent to the entire nation and just like that he earned a spot and represented the country from all tiers of the rugby sport which is Kenya u/20 Kenya 7s and Kenya 15s side Simba's.
He later moved to the United States and recently penned a deal with the New York side New York Old Blue Rugby club.The towering back row narrated how he is excited for the new challenge ahead of him and is looking to put out an outstanding performance and leave a mark once duty calls.
While his journey reflects a hard-working player who never quit, Monate stated that the efforts cannot be attributed to him alone, for there have been individuals who greatly impacted his decisions during the long trek such as the head coaches and players who have propelled him to the prime of his career while at featuring for Wanyore in Nakuru.