Ingo 7s: KCB, Kenya Harlequin, KCB, Kabras & Menengai Oilers dominate on day one of inaugural Kakamega tournament

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Ingo 7s: KCB, Kenya Harlequin, KCB, Kabras & Menengai Oilers dominate on day one of inaugural Kakamega tournament

Mark Kinyanjui 21:25 - 03.08.2024

The 2024 Sportpesa National Sevens Caravan is in Kakamega for the second leg of the circuit which is being held at the ASK Kakamega Showgrounds.

The ongoing Ingo 7s tournament kicked off with a strong showing from Kenya Harlequin, Menengai Oilers, Kabras Sugar, and KCB, as they topped their respective Division One pools to secure their places in the quarterfinals.

The tournament, part of the 2024 SportPesa 7s circuit, is being held at the Kakamega ASK Showground and has seen thrilling action from the participating teams.

Day one recap

MMUST Rugby set the tone in Division One Pool A, with a commanding 47-0 victory over Western Bulls in a Kakamega County derby. 

This was followed by the hosts, Kabras Sugar RFC, who comfortably defeated Kenyatta University’s Blakblad 31-7. The first round of matches went largely as expected, with no major upsets.

In the second round, KU’s Blakblad bounced back, registering a convincing 35-0 win. However, the day's surprise came when Stallions Rugby upset Christie 7s finalists Strathmore Leos with a 17-12 victory, marking their first and only win in Division One of the SportPesa National Sevens Circuit. 

Meanwhile, KCB settled for a draw with a determined Nakuru RFC, while Kabras, Quins, Oilers, and Catholic Monks all secured wins over their respective opponents.

The final round of matches on day one saw a dramatic turn of events as Menengai Oilers, despite their earlier successes, misjudged a critical game and lost 19-24 to a spirited Catholic Monks side. 

The intense Kakamega rivalry between Kabras and MMUST saw the varsity team secure their spot in the cup quarterfinals for day two.

 Although Homeboyz secured their second pool victory, they narrowly missed out on the cup quarters due to goal difference, which favored Catholic Monks and Menengai Oilers. Strathmore Leos also dropped to the Challenge Trophy after losing 5-10 to KCB in a do-or-die Pool D encounter.

Quarterfinal matchups

The tournament now moves into the knockout stages, with the Challenger Trophy quarterfinals and Cup quarterfinals set to provide fans with thrilling rugby action.

In the Challenger Trophy quarterfinals, Blakblad will face Mwamba in the opening match, Stallions will match up against Kisumu, Daystar will take on Western Bulls, and Homeboyz and Strathmore will close these quarters.

The Cup quarterfinals promise to be highly competitive, with hosts Kabras set to play Nondies RFC, KCB meeting the Catholic Monks, Kenya Harlequin facing MMUST, and a Nakuru City derby between Menengai Oilers and Nakuru RFC.

Division Two action

The men’s Division Two also delivered an action-packed day, featuring five pools with four teams each. The day began with Sigalagala National Polytechnic securing a decisive 17-0 victory over KCA University. Molo and Zetech University were awarded 28-0 wins as their opponents, Kisii University and Busia Borderrucks, failed to appear.

In Round Two, KCA University rebounded with an impressive 19-0 win over Kenya Police, while Sigalagala maintained their unbeaten run, edging out Embu RFC 19-12. Mean Machine capitalized on Kisii RFC's absence to clinch their first win by default, while Zetech University continued their winning ways with a close 19-12 victory over Homabay Rugby.

The final round saw Sigalagala continue their dominant performance with a commanding 40-0 win over Kenya Police. Christie Sevens finalists Embu RFC also finished strong, overpowering KCA University 34-15, while Zetech University ended their day with a convincing 37-5 victory over Mean Machine.

The Ingo 7s has already proven to be a thrilling spectacle, with the quarterfinals promising more high-stakes action as teams battle for supremacy in this leg of the SportPesa 7s circuit.

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