KCB, Kabras renew rivarly in Kabeberi 7s
Kabras Sugar scrum half Barry Robinson (right) charges past Ahmed Shaban of KCB during their Enterprise Cup final at RFUEA ground in Nairobi on April 09, 2022.
What you need to know:
- Kabeberi Sevens will pave way for the Christie 7s at the same venue on May 28 to 29 before the series heads to Mombasa for Driftwood Sevens on June 18 to 19.
- Dala Sevens will be held July 2 to 3 in Kisumu with the Prinsloo Sevens taking place on July 9 to 10 in Nakuru.
- The Kakamega Sevens, originally slated as the third leg of the series, will serve as the last leg on July 16 to 17 in Kakamega.
Three-time National Sevens Series champions KCB Rugby and Kabras Sugar face off in the Kabeberi Sevens at RFUEA ground this weekend.
The bankers are the top seeds in the opening leg of the Series by virtue of having won the last edition played in 2019.
KCB and Kabras, who are the 2017 Series title holders, are in Pool “A” of the Kabeberi Sevens that also has Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology (Mmust) and Western Bulls.
KCB also won the Series in 2013 and 2014, while the reigning Kenya Cup and Enterprise Cup champions Kabras Sugar, have won the Series once in 2017.
KCB are due to pick their final squad for the weekend tournament Thursday with the team manager, Philip Wamae, disclosing that the side is a sprinkle of seasoned and upcoming players.
Some of the players likely to make the team are former Kenya Sevens skipper Jacob Ojee and Levy Amunga, who has been training with Kenya Sevens team.
Also set to feature in the bankers’ line up are longer version specialists Isaac Njoroge and Shabaan Ahmed, alongside youngster Michael Kimwele.
“It’s a good blend with most of the players who featured at last year’s Safari Sevens in the mix,” said Wamae, adding that their head coach Dennis Mwanja will use the first tournament to analyse on how they will play in the other legs.
“We are not just looking at Kabras, all our opponents are strong. Masinde Muliro have been a headache in shorter version,” said Wamae, who is confident of retaining the Series title after having lost the Kenya Cup and failing to recapture the Enterprise Cup.
KCB won Kabeberi Sevens in 2008 and 2014, while Kabras are yet to taste victory.
One of Kabras Sugar coaches Edwin Achayo disclosed that they will field a relatively young side with the likes of Paul Abuto, Malik Habil and Alfred Orege the only players with experience.
“We will be out to see how the youngsters will respond to pressure and build it up from there,” said Achayo.
Hosts, and defending Kabeberi Sevens champions Mwamba, who have won the series four times, headline Pool “B” ,which also features Nondescripts, Strathmore Leos and Mean Machine.
Homeboyz, the 2016 and 2018 series champions, lead the pack in Pool “C” where they will battle it out with Menengai Oilers, Kenya Harlequin and Blak Blad.
Chasing their second series title after their 2015 victory, Nakuru, are in Pool “D” with four times series winners Impala Saracens, Northern Suburbs and Daystar Falcons.
With the exception of 2020 and 2021 when sporting activities were hampered by the Covid -19, Kabeberi Sevens has been played since 1988.
Hosts Mwamba and Impala Saracens boast the most wins at Kabeberi, with seven titles each, while Kenya Harlequin have reigned supreme on six occasions.
KCB, Nakuru, Homeboyz and the defunct Barclays have won two titles each, while Kenya Sevens, Ulinzi and Stanchart boast of a title a piece.
Kabeberi Sevens will pave way for the Christie 7s at the same venue on May 28 to 29 before the series heads to Mombasa for Driftwood Sevens on June 18 to 19.
Dala Sevens will be held July 2 to 3 in Kisumu with the Prinsloo Sevens taking place on July 9 to 10 in Nakuru.
The Kakamega Sevens, originally slated as the third leg of the series, will serve as the last leg on July 16 to 17 in Kakamega.
