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Kenyan rugby and beer, how the relationship came to be

Kenyan rugby and beer, how the relationship came to be
Kenyan Rugby fans. PHOTO/Kenya Rugby/Facebook
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Kenyan rugby and the aura behind it is a sight to marvel moreso how fans are not shy to express their love of beer.

Christie sevens and the historic Currie Cup clash between Simbas and South Africa’s Leopards went down at the RFUEA grounds ending on a satisfying high.

What stood out was the amount of booze being dished out to the emphatic fans who kept on cheering their favorite players, not to mention the big hits.

Recently, industry research firms Euromonitor International and China Market Research Report.com showed that Kenyans drank a lot of beer in rugby events even with the introduction of the Alcohol Act 2010 that aimed at curtailing the consumption of alcohol intake.

Kabras Sugar Rugby fans PHOTO/Kabras RFC/Twitter

Surprisingly, some of amateur rugby clubs throughout Kenya survive due to takings behind the bar on a Saturday night. At least part of these profits fund everything from away buses, management fees, equipment and pitch upgrades.

Added to this, beer plays a central role in most team bonding sessions and camaraderie around Kenyan rugby teams.

The drinking of large amounts has also been linked to perceived masculine superiority within some teams.

It is difficult to exactly pinpoint the reasons when or why alcohol and sport, specifically rugby, became so closely linked. In the short term alcoholic beverage produces feelings of pleasure, increased socialisation and escapism thought to be at least partly due to effect of alcohol on the dopaminergic regions of the brain.

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