Christie 7s: Strathmore Leos and KCB exert dominance to seal semi-final spots
By Luke Oluoch, August 17, 2025Strathmore Leos and Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB) Rugby showed their edge by bagging crucial wins to storm the Christie 7s semifinal this Sunday, August 17, 2025, at the RFUEA grounds in Nairobi.
Prinsloo finalist KCB whitewashed Day Star Falcons 27-0 to clinch the second semifinal spot of the day.
The Falcons had proved to be among the surprise packages of the opening day, beating fancied Kabras Sugar in the group phases, but failed to replicate the run against the astute Bankers.
The showdown followed after host Harlequins survived a scare against Impala, edging the rivals 17-12 in the opening quarterfinal clash.
Meanwhile, the Leos make it to their third consecutive semis this 7s season with a huge 29-7 win against the Catholic Monks.
The Monks approached the clash with their tails up, having topped a tough-looking Group A consisting of Impala, Masinde Muliro University Rugby Club, and Nakuru RFC.
Their quest to punch above their weight, however, ended against the in-form Leos under Willis Ojal.
Monks’ defeat saw the team’s quest for an improved finish curtailed, having ended the Prinsloo circuit on a respectable podium finish at third.
Fresh from defending their Prinsloo crown, Leos now head into the final four, where either KCB, Menengai Oilers, or hosts Kenya Harlequins await.
Challenge Cup semis pairing
Harlequins, who lost the 2024 edition of the Christie 7s title to Kabras, are among the teams tipped to offer a fierce challenge to the current edition.
Meanwhile, Kabras Sugar, the defending champions of the Christie 7s, who dropped down to the Challenge Cup trophy, will square it out against Nakuru RFC in the second semifinal of the competition.
A win against the Nakuru-based team will see the 2024 Kenya Cup champions meet either Mwamba or Masinde Muliro in the final of the Challenge Cup.
The Western-based club was polled in group C alongside Menengai Oilers, Daystar Falcons, and Uganda’s Ruga Ruga Select.
The Division Two polls, on their part, featured 20 teams divided into five pools of four. Slot allocation saw affiliate clubs take six spots, Nairobi Region five, performance-based entries four, and other regions five.