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KAK
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Appollo Perelini, who earned the nickname 'Terminator' for his hard tackling style at the 1991 Rugby World Cup for Samoa, has explained why he believes Kenya Simbas can qualify for the 2027 edition.
Kenya Simbas’ commanding 54-24 victory over the United Arab Emirates may have simply been a friendly on paper, but for legendary former Samoa international Apollo Perelini, it was anything but routine.
The man once feared as the ‘Terminator’ for his bone-crunching tackles at the Rugby World Cup believes Kenya now has a legitimate shot at qualifying for the 2027 edition of the global showpiece.
Speaking to Pulse Sports after leading his UAE side at the RFUEA Grounds in Nairobi on Saturday, Perelini didn’t hold back his admiration for the physicality, flair, and depth displayed by Jerome Paarwater’s Simbas.
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“You don't know where your players are until you come up against teams like Kenya – they're physical, they're fast and they're skillful,” said Perelini.
“You can't simulate that in training. It’s not real enough. This was probably the best preparation we could have asked for.”
The Terminator Still Building
Perelini, now UAE’s head coach, is on his own journey of attempting to guide the Gulf nation to its first-ever Rugby World Cup. But it’s his storied past that makes his words resonate.
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The Samoan trailblazer made history in 1995 as the first player from his country to compete in both the Rugby Union and Rugby League World Cups. He later enjoyed a stellar career in England with Sale Sharks, and now, decades later, is trying to inspire a new frontier of rugby growth.
His UAE outfit may have fallen short against the Simbas, but the former powerhouse was more focused on what the match revealed about his side’s character under pressure.
“The whole purpose was to build into something. I wasn’t worried about the result,” he explained. “It was about finding out how we respond when we make mistakes, and what works when we do well.”
Playing away from home, Perelini’s charges got a taste of Kenyan rugby fervor – an experience he insists was invaluable.
“You don’t see the resilience in players until you put them in a cauldron like here. Bring them away from home, put them in Kenya. To be honest, the crowd was very friendly, and all the boys said they really liked it.”
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Paarwater is Doing a Good Job With Simbas
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But more importantly, the encounter gave Perelini the opportunity to assess Kenya’s readiness for the next step in world rugby.
Perelini was full of praise for Simbas head coach Jerome Paarwater and the depth of the current Kenyan squad.
“Jerome’s got a lot of plans to improve Kenya. What we’ve seen from them today is good. Even though we were missing a few key players, this was still a tough test. The first 60 minutes were competitive.”
Yet it was the depth in the Kenyan squad that truly caught Perelini’s eye.
“I feel for Jerome,” he smiled. “He’s got a big headache picking his main 33. There’s some real good talent. When you can put out three good teams, you know there's depth. And that’s what Kenya has now — depth. Kenya's got a future.”
While the road to Australia 2027 remains long, Perelini’s endorsement is a powerful vote of confidence. With more fixtures like this and sustained growth under Paarwater’s guidance, the Simbas may yet roar their way into their first-ever Rugby World Cup.
For now, though, they’ve earned the respect of a rugby legend — and that’s no small feat.
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