From slums to scrums George Ooro wants to lead Kenya Sevens to more milestones

SINGAPORE – Kenya Sevens co-captain George Ooro was just 14 when he would sell sardines, work as a cement loader and collect garbage to supplement his fishermen parents’ income on Rusinga Island.

He enjoyed going to school because it meant he would get three meals a day – a luxury in the Third-World country – and gave up football for rugby when he was 16, after realising rugby players were fed better at Chianda High School.

Ahead of the April 5-6 HSBC SVNS Singapore at the National Stadium, the 25-year-old told The Straits Times: “Growing up in the village as the oldest of four siblings was tough. There was a point where accommodation was not good and there was no money for education, so I had to look for work.

“I grew up knowing that one needed to go through a hard life to get a better future.

“When I managed to enter a high school, I joined rugby union because rugby players got more food compared to the rest of the guys.

“As I began playing rugby, I felt this is a sport that needs someone who is a warrior. With all that I went through, I thought this could be the easiest sport for me. Tackling guys, getting into contact, I found it so enjoyable, and people are scared of me.”

Little did he imagine that the sport would also be his way out of poverty and into the Olympics, even if there were a few close calls along the way.

At 18, Ooro would transition from a rugby union back row player into a rugby sevens hooker, as he led Chianda to a historic regional sevens title, leading to a scholarship offer from Strathmore University in Nairobi in 2020. However, coach Louis Kisia told him he was