Mediamax Network Limited has earned the exclusive rights to be the broadcast partner for the forthcoming National Varsity 7s Cup at Egerton University.
Speaking to People Sport, tournament director Ali Mbaraka divulged that 16 teams drawn from universities across the country will participate.
“The main agenda for this two-day event, which is in its inaugural phase, is to provide space within universities for teams to compete against their peers and showcase their talents. We will have 16 teams participating, divided into four groups. We selected the teams from across the country based on recent Kenya Universities Sports Association (KUSA) results in the Eastern and Coast regions. Eight teams were chosen based on their finishes, and the rest were selected from the Kenya Rugby Union 7s Roll for the 2023/24 season,” offered Mbaraka, who is based at Moi University.
He added, “Some of the teams confirmed for participation include the Technical University of Mombasa (TUM), Meru University, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture & Technology, Moi University, Kisii University and Masinde Muliro University. We want to use this tournament to select a Varsity Side that will compete in future World 7s Series for universities, even next year. We usually receive invitations but have struggled to assemble a team, so I believe this time we will succeed,” he said of the tournament, which is organized by Tisap Events & Game 360 Agency.
Kenya Rugby Union (KRU) chairman Sasha Mutai praised the initiative and urged the teams to perform well.
“This demographic of 18-24 years is where talent is most visible, and many are in universities, so we must harness that. This concept aligns with my manifesto goal of establishing a university league and could be a promising path forward. It is a noble idea, and as KRU, we welcome it wholeheartedly. We hope to participate in University Games through a select team in the future. Additionally, a Kenya Combined League would be beneficial to explore the diverse rugby talents we have in the country,” stated Mutai, who had recently paid a courtesy call on Mediamax Limited CEO Ken Ngaruiya at DSM Offices.
