22 teams for Impala Floodlit tournament

Vincent Oduor

Menengai Oilers hooker Vincent Oduor (centre) supports his mates during their Impala Floodlit semis match against Quins at Impala Club on October 5, 2019.

Photo credit: Chris Omollo | Nation Media Group

What you need to know:

  • KCB are the defending champions in the clubs category. KCB beat Menengai Oilers 23-9 in the final of the 2019 competition.

Twenty-two teams will compete in the Impala Floodlit Rugby Tournament, organisers said on Friday.

It will be the first time the competition, which has traditionally been played as a curtain-raiser for the Kenya Cup season, is taking place since 2019 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

It will be held on three successive weekends at Impala Club in Nairobi – October 29, November 5 and 12.

The 22 teams will battle it out in three categories – women’s category, universities category, and the clubs category.

The universities and clubs categories will each have eight teams drawn from the Kenya Cup, KRU Championship and Nationwide League. The women’s tournament will have six teams.

“We are excited to announce the return of the Impala Floodlit tournament after a two-year absence, the 38th edition of the tournament will be played on October 29, November 5 and November 12, 2022 at the Impala Club,” Impala RFC chairman Charles Ngovi said in a statement on Friday.

The tournament’s director, Daniel Ndaba, said his team will pull all stops to ensure the tournament is a success.

“With a month to go, our preparations are in top gear to deliver a world-class tournament and experience to the fans, players and our partners,” said Ndaba.

“We will have a top-flight line up of teams that will be announced to you during the tournament’s draw on October 21. We are also in advanced discussions with our partners to ensure that we deliver a world-class experience, both on and off the pitch.”

KCB are the defending champions in the clubs category. KCB beat Menengai Oilers 23-9 in the final of the 2019 competition. In the women’s final, Black Lions beat Black Panthers 40-5 while Strathmore Leos lifted the universities title with a 26-16 romp over Mean Machine.

Advanced tickets for the first two weekends of the tournament are available at Sh300 each on www.Kenyabuzz.com. The tickets for the final weekend are going for Sh400 each.