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Menengai Oilers head coach Gibson Weru has shifted his focus to the upcoming Kenya Cup rugby league, set to kick off in a fortnight, after securing their maiden major 15s trophy—the Impala Floodlit tournament.

The Nakuru-based side stunned hosts Impala Saracens 42-3 in a one-sided cup final, and the tactician believes the win was a valuable test ahead of the premier 15s league in the country.

“Impala Floodlit trophy is crucial for us because it has opened the gates to superior 15s trophies and gives gives us the right amount of confidence heading into Kenya cup. We have taken with us some key lessons from Impala on areas we need to work on,” Oilers head coach Gibson Weru told People Sport.

The Impala Floodlit competition has traditionally served as a preseason event for the Kenya Cup league, with Kabras Sugar defending their title.

The tactician believes the Nakuru-based club is catching up with the Sugar Millers and former champions KCB.

“We are confident about catching up with Kabras and KCB this season, backed by our improved form and strong team spirit. We played with 14 men for 60 minutes and still won by a convincing score without conceding a try on away soil,” coach ‘Gibu’ added.

The 2024/25 Kenya Cup season will kick off on November 23rd with six fixtures across six venues in the country.

The Oilers will host Kisumu RFC, while defending champions Kabras and last season’s runners-up KCB will face newly promoted Impala Saracens and South Coast Pirates, respectively.