| Full name | Bristol University Select Invitation XV | |
|---|---|---|
| Union | Rugby Football Union | |
|
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Bristol University Select are an invitation rugby team selected from Bristol based rugby players, generally those who live in the city or play / have played for Bristol University RFC, Clifton RFC and the professional side Bristol RFC.[1] This team is part of close sporting links that have developed recently between Bristol and Kenya.[2]
They have previously played Stellenbosch University RFC,[3] but are perhaps best known for their frequent and generally successful visits to the Safari Sevens in Nairobi, Kenya. They have won the title once (1998) and were runners-up consecutively for the next three years (1999,2000 and 2001); the increasingly high level of competition at this event is demonstrated by the fact that the Bristol invitation XV have only brought back silverware on two more occasions, the Plate in 2008 and the Bowl in 2009. On these trips to East Africa they take various items of kit and equipment to be given to local schoolchildren and participate in coaching clinics to help develop the game in this region.
Humphrey Kayange the Kenya sevens captain and IRB sevens player of the year nominee (2009)[4] seems a likely future player as he is heading to Bristol University in 2012 to study for a masters degree in biochemistry.[5][6]
2006 Safari Sevens squad[7]