From August 5-6, the Nakuru Athletic Club will throw its doors open to the third leg of the 2023 National 7s Circuit; Prinsloo 7s.
Unlike the Driftwood 7s where a general tiredness reigned due to the distance covered by teams, Nakuru promises an electrifying circuit attributed to its proximity to most of the teams.
Teams will also be refreshed after a three-weeks break that paved the way for the World Rugby U20 Trophy.
Pool A: Kabras RFC, Kisumu RFC, Homeboyz RFC, Western Bulls
Western Bulls are the only new faces in this pool. The rest locked horns in Driftwood 7s with Kabras RFC managing 3/3 wins to top the pool. Kisumu RFC closely followed, to see the two teams qualify for the quarterfinals.
The Deejayz missed the quarterfinals of Driftwood 7s after suffering defeats from Kabras and Kisumu RFC. They will also be facing Western Bulls for the second time. Their last meeting in Dala ended in a 36-12 win over Homeboyz. The Amady Diallo-coached side will be looking to stage a comeback.
Kabras RFC on the other hand are powered by their top of the table position. The Sugarmen top the table with 41 points. They will be looking to duplicate their Driftwood 7s performance where they defied the odds to lift the title.
Kisumu RFC is a force to be reckoned with if their performance in the opening two legs is anything to go by. The Lawi Buyachi-coached gentlemen settled for sixth place after Driftwood 7s, an improvement from their 10th-place finish in Dala. They qualified for the quarterfinals of the Driftwood 7s managed fifth place following a 19-0 loss to Mwamba RFC in the fifth-place playoff.
Western Bulls who were relegated after failing to make the top 12 in Kisumu will be keen to stage a comeback to the top-tier.
Pool B: Menengai Oilers, Nondescripts, Nakuru RFC, Catholic Monks
National 7s Circuit defending champions Menengai Oilers will be keen to cause upset in this pool. The well-oiled Oilers narrowly missed the Driftwood 7s title after losing 10-7 to Kabras RFC in the sudden death of the nail biting finals.
They will also be looking to avenge their 12-7 loss to Nakuru RFC in Dala 7s. The side, coached by Gibson Weru will be looking to stage a repeat of the 2022 Prinsloo 7s where they hit Strathmore Leos 12-7 to win the title.
Prinsloo 7s hosts Nakuru RFC too will be looking for victory in their home tournament. Wanyore will be looking to improve on their ninth-place finish after Driftwood 7s. They bowed out of main cup contention after losing three of their pool matches. This was a drop from their Dala 7s performance where they qualified for the quarterfinals but lost 19-0 to Kenya Harlequins.
Nondescripts too is a side to watch in this circuit. The White Shirts finished 7th in Driftwood 7s, an improvement from their ninth-place finish at the Dala 7s. They will be aiming at yet another top eight finish in Nakuru.
The Monks have make headlines severally for their action-packed matches and Prinsloo will be no different.
Pool C: KCB Rugby, Kenya Harlequins, MMUST, Blak Blad
Dala 7s defending champions KCB Rugby kicked off their NSC campaign on a high but were slowed down by Oilers who defeated them 17-12 in the Driftwood 7s semifinals. They will be looking to reclaim the title.
They will however be up against sleek Quins who are on a revenge mission. Paul Murunga’s charges settled for sixth place in Driftwood after a 12-7 loss to Mwamba in the fifth place playoff. This was a drop from the Dala 7s performance where they finished fourth after losing to Strathmore Leos in the third place playoff.
The Makakas will be seeking to redeem themselves after a poor performance in the opening two legs. The students went down to Western Bulls 19-12 in 13th place finals to cap a disappointing show in Kisumu.
Blak Blad too started the circuit on a wrong footing. They will be keen to right their wrongs and get back on track.
Pool D: Strathmore Leos, Mwamba RFC, Daystar Falcons, Zetech Oaks
Strathmore Leos will be keen to win this leg after their 2022 attempt ended in a 12-7 loss to Oilers at the final stage. The Leos are enjoying an experienced squad including the like of Kenyan International George Ooro and Chipu’s winger Victor Mola who is fresh from the U20 trophy. Brunson Madigu and Gabriel Ayimba too will be looking to electrify this circuit.
Mwamba RFC have been consistent in the last two legs, maintaining sixth position. Injera’s magical hands are already evident in the technical bench. They will be looking to build-up on their Driftwood 7s performance to impress in Nakuru.
Daystar Falcons and Zetech Oaks too are teams to watch in this leg. The university students have a history of high-intensity matches and there will be no shortage of drama in this pool.
