Defending National Sevens Circuit champions KCB Rugby, 2025 Dala 7s finalists Kabras RFC and resurgent Mwamba RFC maintained unbeaten records to storm into the Dala 7s Main Cup quarterfinals after an entertaining opening day at the Mamboleo Showground in Kisumu on Saturday.Download our Mozzart Sport app for more newsDivision One newcomers Zetech Oaks also announced their arrival in style, sealing a place in the last eight in their maiden top-flight appearance, while former heavyweights Nondescripts and hosts Kisumu RFC suffered disappointing exits alongside Nakuru RFC.KCB, Zetech advance from Pool AKenya Sevens star set to debut for KCB at Dala 7sKCB Rugby topped Pool A after collecting seven points from three matches. The Bankers opened with a commanding 36-5 victory over Impala RFC before overpowering newly-promoted Zetech Oaks 43-12. They wrapped up the pool phase with a hard-fought 19-19 draw against a spirited MMUST Rugby side.Zetech Oaks, who earned promotion to Division One only last weekend, enjoyed a dream debut campaign. They edged MMUST Rugby 17-12 in their opener before falling to KCB, but recovered to beat Impala RFC 19-14 and seal a historic quarterfinal berth.##NAJAVA_MECA_9872188##Impala RFC and MMUST Rugby dropped to the Challenge Trophy after missing out on qualification.KCB Rugby coach Andrew Amonde praised his side’s consistency despite the demanding conditions.“The boys responded well throughout the day. We achieved our first objective of qualifying for the quarterfinals, but we know the real work starts tomorrow. Kabras youngster Rayvon Ambale recounts six-month injury battle after dream returnWe’ll recover well, review our performances and make sure we’re ready for the knockout matches,” he said.Oilers bounce back as Quins recoverPool B saw Menengai Oilers bounce back impressively from last weekend’s disappointing outing in Nakuru by winning all three matches.Oilers began with a convincing 17-0 victory over Kenya Harlequin before defeating KU Blak Blad 14-6 and completing a flawless campaign with a 26-0 win over Mombasa RFC.##NAJAVA_MECA_9874702##Despite opening with defeat to Oilers, Kenya Harlequin recovered brilliantly, beating Mombasa RFC 17-0 before comfortably dispatching KU Blak Blad 26-7 to secure the second quarterfinal spot.Harlequin coach Patrice Agunda credited the team’s resilience after the opening setback.“We have had a mixed bag of days. In the first game we lost to Oilers but to our own errors. In the second game we won against Mombasa, and then we had a clinical performance against Blak Blad.Blak Blad decries lack of support from Kenyatta University despite outstanding results“I am proud of the boys for being able to stand up even when it was not easy. It is a testament to the hard work they have done. We take it a day at a time, and when tomorrow comes, we will know what to do,” Agunda said.Oilers head coach Geoffrey Ominde said the team had responded positively after a slow start to the tournament. “The response after the first match is exactly what we wanted to see. The players showed character, trusted the process and executed our game plan much better in the last two matches. Now our focus shifts to the quarterfinals where every mistake becomes costly,” Ominde offered.##NAJAVA_MECA_9872319##KU Blak Blad and Mombasa RFC dropped into the Challenge Trophy.Mwamba end quarterfinal drought as Nondies crash outPool C produced one of the biggest surprises of the tournament as Nondescripts, fresh from a third-place finish at the Prinsloo 7s, failed to reach the Main Cup quarterfinals.Instead, Mwamba RFC and Daystar Falcons advanced.NYS coach reveals demanding schedule behind impressive Prinsloo 7s runMwamba enjoyed a perfect day, opening with a 22-0 shutout against Nondies before defeating Daystar Falcons 26-17 and completing their unbeaten run with another 26-17 victory over hosts Kisumu RFC.Daystar Falcons recovered from successive defeats to Kisumu RFC and Mwamba by edging Nondies RFC 12-5 in a decisive final pool match to book their place in the last eight.Mwamba head coach Paul Murunga hailed his side’s defensive improvement after disappointing performances in Nakuru.##NAJAVA_MECA_9872196##“Reaching the quarterfinals means a lot. In Prinsloo we had so many mistakes, but today, the first game was brilliant against Nondies. We won 22-0, which means our defence worked.Of course we have made a few changes. Bringing in Jerome and our brilliant speedster Zoli worked so well. You could see how he defended against Odongo today and made sure we were able to win that game against Daystar.This is the first Main Cup quarterfinal in a while, and we are looking forward to picking up from there and making sure we can get to the top, step by step. We are not yet there, but if we can work on a few mistakes, we will play better tomorrow,” Murunga averred.Willis Ojal explains why Strathmore Leos failed to defend Prinsloo 7s titleHosts Kisumu RFC and Nondies were relegated to the Challenge Trophy.Kisumu RFC assistant coach Allan Kasiti admitted the hosts had fallen short of expectations.“It is disappointing because we wanted to give our home fans something to celebrate. We showed glimpses of good rugby, but we were not consistent enough in the key moments. ##NAJAVA_MECA_9872309##Now we have to regroup quickly and finish the tournament strongly in the Challenge Trophy,” Kasiti said.Kabras cruise as Strathmore bounce backPool D belonged to Kabras RFC, who maintained their impressive form by winning all three matches without conceding after their opening fixture.The defending Dala 7s finalists began with a 33-10 victory over Strathmore Leos before thrashing Embu RFC 52-0 and rounded off the day with a dominant 33-0 win over Nakuru RFC.Zetech Oaks coach lists ingredients for National 7s Circuit Division One survivalStrathmore Leos, who missed out on the Main Cup quarterfinals in Nakuru last weekend, responded superbly after the opening defeat. They thumped Nakuru RFC 33-19 before demolishing Embu RFC 53-0 to secure second place in the pool.Captain Gabriel Ayimba believes the Leos can build on their strong opening day performance.“We did not start on a high, but we finished on a high, and we made it to the quarters. We hope to bring it a notch higher tomorrow and proceed one game at a time into the semis and, God willing, to the finals,” he said.##NAJAVA_MECA_9872280##Nakuru RFC, who had reached the quarterfinals at the Prinsloo 7s, endured a disappointing outing in Kisumu, finishing third in the pool with three points. They joined Embu RFC in the Challenge Trophy as Kabras and Strathmore progressed to Sunday’s Main Cup quarterfinals.
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