Mwamba RFC reveal reason behind Kakamega 7s withdrawal
By Collins Amanga, July 14, 2022Mwamba RFC have withdrawn from the Kakamega 7s, the final leg of the National Sevens Circuit, which is set for the Bull Ring on 16 and 17 July.
Following the death of their team manager Stephanie-Rose Otieno, the Kenya Cup side stated on Thursday that they will not participate in the final leg. Stephanie died in a vehicle accident on Monday, just after the Prinsloo 7s Tournament held by Nakuru RFC at Nakuru Athletic Club.
“Due to the tragic death of our TM AfrikanStar_ we’ve withdrawn from this weekend’s #Kakamega7s . We thank teams, individuals and the wider rugby fraternity for their comforting words and encouragement. We wish WesternBulls and OfficialKRU a successful tournament,” Mwamba announced through their social media pages.
UPDATE: Due to the tragic death of our TM @AfrikanStar_ we've withdrawn from this weekend's #Kakamega7s . We thank teams, individuals and the wider rugby fraternity for their comforting words and encouragement. We wish @WesternBulls and @OfficialKRU a successful tournament. pic.twitter.com/sqXtil8Kra
— Mwamba Rugby Football Club (@MwambaRFC) July 14, 2022
Mwamba RFC were in Pool B with Strathmore Leos, who were finalists last weekend in Nakuru, Catholic Monks, and Kisumu ahead the Kakamega 7s.
Kulabu finishes the season with 73 points, having won one Cup title this season. They defeated Menengai Oilers 21-7 in a tense final to win the Driftwood Sevens, the third competition on the National Sevens Circuit, held in Mombasa on June 19.
Kakamega 7s Pools released
Kenya Rugby Union is expected to make changes to the pools before the tournament. In the Pools released on Wednesday, National Sevens Circuit and Kakamega 7s defending Champions KCB are scheduled to face Kabras Sugar, Impala, and Daystar Falcons in Pool D of the competition. The Bankers who are placed second on the Sevens Circuit standings with 90 points will be keen to win the tournament to retain the title.
Menengai Oilers, who won the Prinsloo 7s last weekend in Nakuru, are seeded first in Kakamega and are eyeing their maiden National 7s title after moving top of the standings with 94 points. They will compete in Pool A alongside Masinde Muliro, Nondescripts, and Nationwide side Vihiga Granites.
Strathmore Leos, who were finalists last weekend in Nakuru, have Catholic Monks, and Kisumu in Pool B. Homeboyz are the top seeds in Pool C, where they will play Kenya Harlequin, hosts Western Bulls, and Nakuru RFC.
KCB win 2021 Kakamega 7s
KCB won the inaugural edition of the Kakamega 7s in 2019 beating Homeboyz 21-12 at the Bull Ring on 21 July. To win the tournament, KCB were first over the chalk, breaking the tie with Vincent Onyala’s converted try. Collins Shikoli would tie things up with a buzzer-beater attempt to make it 7-7 at the break.
Onyala would secure the win for KCB with his top try scorer, top point scorer, and MVP accolades with a try in the sixth minute. Johnstone Olindi, who had a blinder of a debut, kept his fantastic form continuing with a converted try upon resumption of play.
Homeboyz scored an unconverted try late in the game to bring the final score to 21-12 but the bankers held on to end a two-year wait for a sevens trophy, their previous triumph being at the 2017 Prinsloo sevens.
This year’s Kakamega 7s event was originally slated as the third leg of the circuit but was pushed to serve as the season-ender. The changes were made to allow KRU to host the Currie Cup Nairobi Series which saw the Simbas play Leopards and Eastern Province Elephants at RFUEA Grounds.