There are rugby clubs built on storied histories, endowments and infrastructure.

Then there are clubs built on belief.

Spikers Rugby Club in Ogembo, Kenya falls firmly into the second category.

A grassroots, community-based side, Spikers RFC is committed to providing meaningful, memorable experiences for its players. Their players range in age from 10-25 years old with around 25 players in the club. 

Many of their players come from low socioeconomic backgrounds. The club offers local children a subsidized opportunity to play a sport that, for many, becomes far more than just a game.

Head Coach Wilfred Orina puts it simply:

“Spikers Rugby Club is a community-based team here in Kenya, using rugby to create discipline, opportunity, and hope for young players.”

The word hope carries weight.

Because while rugby might look the same on paper everywhere in the world, the reality of delivering it can be very different depending on where you stand. 

We often highlight the struggles that are faced in the grassroots of the sport. However, the struggles that many of us face would be welcomed as blessings from other perspectives. 

Built on Passion, Not Resources

Spikers RFC continues to compete in local leagues, entering both 15s and 7s competitions. They train. They prepare. They show up.

But they do so without the financial safety net that many clubs take for granted.

“Our club is built on passion rather than resources. What we may lack in funding, we make up for in commitment.”

This is a familiar story across Clubland and even more of a reason for clubs across the world to take notice. We are not so different from each other. 

Volunteers stretching budgets. Coaches doubling as administrators. Players sharing kit. Communities rallying around borrowed fields and improvised facilities.

The difference is that the things most clubs take for granted are cherished by clubs like Spikers RFC. Grassy pitches, matching kits, a changing room, and quality training equipment among many other things are minimum expectations for most clubs.  

Even transportation creates a barrier for the young men from Spikers RFC. Transport to away fixtures can determine whether the team gets to compete at all. League fees and operational costs weigh heavily. Training equipment is limited. Many players lack proper kits and protective gear.

Player welfare is an ongoing concern for the club. Access to basic first aid, hydration, and nutrition support is minimal.

Yet Strikers RFC persist and push forward despite challenges that would cause others to fold.

Because the mission matters. The community builds people up. Rugby matters. 

More Than Matches

Spikers RFC aren’t simply raising funds to win more games. They are raising funds to create and sustain opportunities for current as well as future players.

Their current fundraising efforts aim to provide new playing kits, medical supplies, improved coaching resources, and the logistical support needed to participate in tournaments throughout the season. This includes travel, food, and accommodation expenses.

These are not the glamorous line items of grassroots rugby. The receipts that rarely make highlight reels.

However, without them there is no rugby.

“Supporting Spikers means helping young people build a better future through rugby.”

That’s not hyperbole. It’s reality.

For many of the players, rugby offers discipline, structure, belonging, and exposure to environments beyond their immediate circumstances. It builds resilience. It builds community. It builds confidence.

It builds futures.

The Universal Language of Rugby

Here at Bottom of the Ruck, we often talk about the invisible scaffolding that holds grassroots rugby together. The volunteers, coaches, maintenance staff, and people that perform many other tasks so that others may play. 

Spikers RFC reminds us that this scaffolding exists everywhere from Cornwall to Hamilton to Kenya to Iowa.

The accents may change. The weather certainly does. The passion and heartbeat remains the same.

Young players turning up for the love of the game. Coaches investing time they don’t have. Clubs fight to survive not because it is easy, but because it is worth it.

Spikers RFC is asking for support to remain active and growing. To ensure that players can travel safely to matches, train with proper equipment, and have access to basic medical care. All they wish is to step onto the pitch properly prepared.

Because when grassroots rugby works, it does something powerful.

It gives young people a place to belong.

A Call to Clubland

As with every fundraising effort we highlight here at Bottom of the Ruck, the message to Clubland remains the same. Rugby’s greatest strength has never been money. It’s our community.

Across continents, across time zones, across different languages and leagues. We are connected by the same oval ball.

Spikers RFC may be based in Kenya, but their fight is not foreign to any of us. Transport costs. Kit expenses. Medical supplies. Operational fees. These are pressures clubs everywhere understand.

With thousands upon thousands of clubs around the world and millions of players we have strength in numbers. When one club is in need, it’s not their burden alone. It’s a call to the wider rugby family.

A small donation, repeated dozens or hundreds of times across this global community, can create real, tangible impact. No single club needs to carry the weight. Together we can move mountains.

Today it’s Spikers RFC asking for support so their young players can stay on the field and build a better future through rugby.

Tomorrow, it could be any of us.