'Broke' Homeboyz relegated for the first time in 13 years
Kabras Sugar's Griffin Chao (centre) charges against Homeboyz Peter Mboya (left) and Godfrey Kile during their Kenya Cup match at Jamhuri Park showground arena on January 13, 2024.
What you need to know:
- Homeboyz Rugby Club chairman Mike Rabar attributed his club’s poor run this season to several factors mainly lack of finance and departure of key players
- Rabar said they will retreat, make drastic changes to their setup, win the Kenya Rugby Union (KRU) Championship next season, and return to the Kenya Cup stronger
- Rabar explained that they were unable to sustain a big squad at the start of the season with the playing unit reducing from 80 players to 40
Homeboyz Rugby Club’s relegation from Kenya Cup for the first time in 13 years is what hogged the limelight in a weekend that Menengai Oilers ended former champions KCB unbeaten run.
Winless Homeboyz were relegated after they handed Mwamba a walkover in their penultimate leg of the Kenya Cup, an indication that they won’t honour their last match against Kenyatta University’s Blak Blad on Saturday.
Founded in 2009, Homeboyz that was promoted to Kenya Cup after retaining the Eric Shirley League title in 2011, have had a torrid season that found themselves perched at the bottom of the table without a point.
Homeboyz Rugby Club chairman Mike Rabar attributed his club’s poor run this season to several factors mainly lack of finance and departure of key players.
However, Rabar said they will retreat, make drastic changes to their setup, win the Kenya Rugby Union (KRU) Championship next season, and return to the Kenya Cup stronger.
“We are down but not out...we are not scared of relegation or coming from the bottom and up again since its part of competition. We have a plan for Kenya Cup return,” said Rabar.
Rabar said that it’s been tough to sustain the privately-sponsored club especially with the current economic recess with businesses not doing well.
Rabar, who downplayed allegations of mismanagement of resources by some of his managers, saying that everything will be reviewed to see where they fell short.
Rabar explained that they were unable to sustain a big squad at the start of the season with the playing unit reducing from 80 players to 40.
“We could retain quality since some of the players were on salaries while other on college scholarships,” said Radar, adding that they required a minimum of Sh18.25m to run the club.
“Players will leave if a club can’t meet some of their basic needs,” explained Rabar.
Among the key players to leave Homeboyz at the start of the season were Zeden Maro, Jan Ramke and Abel Matanda, who crossed over to join Kenya Harlequin.
Quins had the previous season also ploughed former colleagues Kenya Under-20 skipper Henry Ayah, Arnold Onzere and Richel Wangila from Homeboyz.
KCB also raided the Deejays deck to get Emmanuel Silungi and Thomas Okidia, having also snatched Bob Muhati and Maxwell Kang’eri from the Deejays the previous season.
Menengai Oilers ensured that KCB went back limping to their Ruaraka Den without a bonus point after they ended their unbeaten run this season 21-7 at Nakuru Showground on Saturday.
Jadah Abdon gave the Oilers the lead with a try that Abutwalib Wesonga converted before Lionel Ajeliti converted his own try to level 7-7 for KCB.
Wesonga reclaimed the lead for Oilers 10-7 at the break with a penalty before curling over another penalty on resumption to stretch the lead to 16-7.
Then Clinton Odhiambo’s unconverted handed the Oilers their first victory against KCB since their famous 24-17 Kenya Cup semi-final victory during the 2021/22 season.
Despite the result, Oilers stayed third in the league with 37 points while KCB remained second on 44 points.
Kabras Sugar, the only side yet to lose, claimed their 10th consecutive bonus-point victory, beating Blak Blak 24-17 to uphold their top spot with 50 points.
Kabras Sugar and KCB have already secured their automatic home semi-final while Oilers, Quins and Nondescripts have their foot in the semi-final play-offs. Mwamba, Strathmore Leos, Blak Blad and Nakuru will battle for the remaining slot.
Mwamba have 24 points followed by Strathmore 20 while Blak Blad and Nakuru have 19 points each.
Blak Blad are likely to get a walkover against Homeboyz, which will hand them five points for a total of 24 points.
Nakuru must beat Mwamba by a bonus point while ensuring that the Nairobi based side doesn’t get a point. That will see three teams--Mwamba, Nakuru and Blak Blad--tie on 24 points each.
Mwamba only need a bonus point from Nakuru to snatch the last slot with 25 points while Strathmore must beat Kisumu by bonus point to bring their tally to 25 so as to secure the semi-final play-off spot.
Kisumu can easily be candidates for relegation if hosts Catholic University Monks are to upset Menengai Oilers in Nairobi.
