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Collins Injera

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Collins Injera
Date of birth (1986-10-18) 18 October 1986 (age 38)
Place of birthNairobi, Kenya
Height186 cm (6 ft 1 in)
Weight96 kg (212 lb)
SchoolVihiga High School
UniversityDaystar University
Notable relative(s)Humphrey Kayange (brother)
Michael Agevi (brother)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Utility Back
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
Mwamba Rugby Club (0)
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2014–2018 Kenya 6 (0)
National sevens team
Years Team Comps
2006–2022 Kenya 424 (1443 pts)
Official website
https://instagram.com/cinjera

Collins Injera (born 18 October 1986) is a former Kenyan rugby player. He holds third place for the number of tries scored on the World Rugby Sevens Series with 279.[1] He is known for his achievements with Kenyan national rugby sevens team.

Career

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Injera started playing rugby while at Vihiga High School in Vihiga. After graduation in 2005, he joined military team Ulinzi RFC playing in the Kenya Cup league. The team was later disbanded, and he moved to Mwamba RFC, a Nairobi-based team where he plays as a wing.[2][3]

Now a strong player for the Kenyan Sevens squad, Injera debuted with the team at the 2006 Dubai Sevens[4] and played in the 2009 Rugby World Cup Sevens,[5] where Kenya reached the semifinals. He became the top try scorer for the 2008–09 IRB Sevens World Series season with 42 tries.[6] He also scored 210 points and finished second behind Ben Gollings of England in the individual points table.[7]

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.[8]

In February 2013, Injera was dropped from the Kenya national sevens team and his contract was cancelled by the head coach Mike Friday. This was because of a conflict between Injera's club Mwamba RFC and the Kenya national sevens team. This conflict led to Injera missing training sessions with the Kenya national sevens team and therefore breaching his contract. As a consequence of this breach, Injera's contract was cancelled.[9]

In celebrating his 200th career try in the World Rugby Series, Collins Injera autographed a rugby ball and a camera lens using a permanent marker, in a pre-mediatated move that ended up ruining the costly camera.[10] The try was scored during Kenya's match against Japan, at Twickenham Stadium in 2015, a game that Kenya won with a 24- 12 scoreline.[11]

In 2022, He was recalled into the Kenyan squad for the Rugby World Cup Sevens in Cape Town.[12][13] He announced his retirement from rugby in January 2023.[14][15][16]

Currently, Collins Injera serves as a Liaison Officer in the office of the Clerk of the Senate of Kenya. He got recruited, in mid 2023, through the Parliamentary Service Commission.[17][18]

Awards

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Injera was nominated for the 2008–09 IRB Sevens Player of the Year award,[19][20] which was eventually won by Ollie Phillips (rugby union) Injera won the Kenyan Sportsman of the Year award in 2009.[21] 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.[22] Collins Injera was named Player of the final in 2016 Singapore Sevens, after helped Kenya to win their first tournament in World Sevens Series.[23]

In January 2023, Collins Injera was inducted into Fiji's Rugby Town Walk of Fame, during the Coral Coast Sevens at Lawaqa Park in Sigatoka, Fiji. [24][25][26][27] He is also the second African player to be feted with the honor of being an official ambassador for the 2023 McDonalds Coral Coast Sevens, after Bryan Habana of South Africa in 2019.[28][29][30]

Collins was inducted to the Melrose Sevens Hall of Fame in April 2023.[31][32][33] The induction was a honor to his rugby career achievements over the years.[34]

Personal life

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Injera's older brother Humphrey Kayange is a former captain of the Kenyan sevens squad. Their younger brother Michael Agevi has also played rugby for the Sevens team in the past.[35]

Injera has a degree in mass communication from Kenya College for Communication Technology (KCCT).[2] He is an alumnus of Daystar University.[36]

Collins Injera is married to Chebet Limo.[37][38]

References

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  1. ^ "Kenya legend Collins Injera calls time on illustrious playing career". World Rugby. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  2. ^ a b Daily Nation, Buzz Magazine, 16 January 2009: Top of the top
  3. ^ Rugbyrugby.com, 3 March 2009: Mwamba's pride Archived 22 February 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ Daily Nation, 15 January 2009: Injera aims to conquer all in IRB series Archived 12 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ RWC Sevens 2009: Kenya squad Archived 27 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  6. ^ "Season Player Tries". International Rugby Board. Archived from the original on 9 April 2008. Retrieved 7 December 2008.
  7. ^ "Season Player Points". International Rugby Board. Archived from the original on 11 February 2010. Retrieved 7 December 2008.
  8. ^ Heavensgame.com: KENYA BEAT CAMEROON IN RWC QUALIFIER Archived 19 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  9. ^ Daily Nation, 28 February 2013:Sevens coach Friday says Injera’s contract still remains cancelled
  10. ^ "Rugby-Kenyan sevens player makes costly error after 200th try". Yahoo Sports. 17 May 2015. Retrieved 26 January 2025.
  11. ^ Digital, Standard. "Collins Injera damages Ksh9 million camera lens as he makes rugby history". Standard Entertainment. Retrieved 26 January 2025.
  12. ^ Collins, Amanga (2 September 2022). "Kenya Sevens squad for 2022 Rugby World Cup Sevens". www.pd.co.ke. Retrieved 17 September 2022.
  13. ^ Njuguna, William (3 September 2022). "Injera recalled to Shujaa squad ahead of Rugby World Cup Sevens". The Star. Retrieved 17 September 2022.
  14. ^ "Kenya legend Collins Injera calls time on illustrious playing career". www.world.rugby. 24 January 2023. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  15. ^ Wachira, Lynne (24 January 2023). "Rugby sevens star Collins Injera retires". BBC Sport. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  16. ^ Kejitan, Vincent (24 January 2023). "Collins Injera retires from rugby". Standard Entertainment. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  17. ^ "Ex-Kenya international Collins Injera lands government job". Nation. 18 July 2023. Retrieved 26 January 2025.
  18. ^ Sports, Pulse (19 July 2023). "Kenya Sevens legend Collins Injera secures new job in public service". Pulse Sports Kenya. Retrieved 26 January 2025.
  19. ^ IRB, 29 May 2009: IRB names Sevens Player of the Year shortlist Archived 1 June 2009 at the Wayback Machine
  20. ^ "Collins Injera, Second Top Try Scorer is Coral Coast Rugby Tournament Ambassador - Stories from Fiji". 11 August 2022. Retrieved 26 January 2025.
  21. ^ The Standard, 12 December 2009: Masai, the year’s best Archived 16 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  22. ^ Daily Nation, 27 May 2010: Sevens stars decorated by state
  23. ^ World Rugby, 17 April 2016: Collins Injera shines to win final award
  24. ^ West, Filipe Naikaso Senior Multimedia Journalist. "Nadruku and Injera inducted". Fiji Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 26 January 2025.
  25. ^ "Collins injera inducted into Fiji's rugby town walk of fame - Ghetto Radio". ghettoradio.co.ke. 12 January 2023. Retrieved 26 January 2025.
  26. ^ collins, Amanga (11 January 2023). "Collins Injera, Noa Nadruku inducted into Fiji's Rugby Town Walk of Fame - Scrummage Africa". Retrieved 26 January 2025.
  27. ^ "Kenya Sevens legend Injera inducted into Fiji's Rugby Town Walk of Fame". Nation. 11 January 2023. Retrieved 26 January 2025.
  28. ^ FHTA, Coral Coast (15 August 2022). "Injera to be brand ambassador for McDonalds Fiji Coral Coast 7s". Fiji's Coral Coast. Retrieved 26 January 2025.
  29. ^ "Collins Injera, a legend in rugby sevens, arrives in Fiji as an ambassador for the McDonald's Coral Coast Sevens tournament in Fiji – THE JET | Fiji's First Community Newspaper". 11 January 2023. Retrieved 26 January 2025.
  30. ^ "Collins Injera, Second Top Try Scorer is Coral Coast Rugby Tournament Ambassador - Stories from Fiji". 11 August 2022. Retrieved 26 January 2025.
  31. ^ "Kenyan rugby legend Collins Injera to join Melrose Sevens hall of fame". The Southern Reporter. 31 March 2023. Retrieved 26 January 2025.
  32. ^ "Injera set for another Hall of Fame recognition". Nation. 31 March 2023. Retrieved 26 January 2025.
  33. ^ "Melrose Sevens 2023: Who is playing, Hall of Fame inductees, how to watch". The Scotsman. 7 April 2023. Retrieved 26 January 2025.
  34. ^ "Injera to be inducted into Melrose Sevens Hall of Fame in UK today". People Daily. 6 April 2023. Retrieved 26 January 2025.
  35. ^ "Fresh faces for Kenya Sevens". International Rugby Board. 26 September 2011. Archived from the original on 22 December 2011. Retrieved 14 February 2013.
  36. ^ Komen, Jonathan (3 June 2018). "Rugby blood runs deep in their families: Family members that dot rugby scene". The Standard. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
  37. ^ Digital, Standard. "Sports stars enjoying blissful marriages". Standard Entertainment. Retrieved 26 January 2025.
  38. ^ Otengo, Victor (19 December 2021). "Collins Injera shows gratitude to wife as couple mark 7th wedding anniversary". Tuko.co.ke - Kenya news. Retrieved 26 January 2025.
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