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KCB are the 2023 winners of the National Sevens Circuit title after advancing to the cup semis while main rivals Kabras failed to make it past the quarters
KCB RFC are the 2023 National Sevens Circuit champions after closest challengers Kabras Sugar fell to Menengai Oilers in the Cup quarter-final at the Kabeberi Sevens in Nairobi on Sunday.
Kabras headed into the second day of the season-ending tournament with a one-point lead over KCB, having accumulated 92 to the bankers’ 91, before Kabeberi.
They therefore needed to finish the tournament ahead of KCB in the knockout stages to claim a first national title in six years while Andrew Amonde’s men would pip them if they reached the cup semis.
As it turned out, Kabras lost 12-5 to Oilers in the quarter-final while KCB beat Mwamba 29-7 to advance to the semis, meaning they will finish with more points than the sugar millers.
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09:08 - 10.09.2023
RUGBY Kabeberi Sevens: No margin for error for Kabras Sugar & KCB with circuit title at stake
Kabras Sugar and KCB are the only two teams with a chance of lifting the National Sevens Circuit title and neither can ill afford a poor outing in the knockout stages at Kabeberi Sevens.
It was a heartbreaking end to the tournament for Kabras who looked formidable in the first four rounds, reaching the cup final on three occasions, while winning the Driftwood and Prinsloo Sevens.
However, they looked vulnerable in the penultimate leg, the Tisap Sevens in Eldoret last weekend, when they also exited at the quarter-final.
Kabras seem to have been affected by the absence of some of their top players such as flyhalf Jone Kubu who is serving an 11-match suspension due to stumping at the Prinsloo Sevens.
Besides Kubu, experienced players such as William Muhanji, Kevin Wekesa, Brian Tanga and Lamech Ambetsa are currently with the national sevens team, adding onto coach Felix Ayange’s predicament.
Ayange was forced to go with an unchanged squad for the Kabeberi tournament despite the poor showing in Eldoret and the relatively young players seem to have found the going tough.
Kabras started their Kabeberi campaign by defeating Daystar Falcons 22-7 before drawing 17-17 with Masinde Muliro. They then beat tournament hosts Mwamba 21-10 to claim pole position in Group C to set up the cup quarter-final meeting with Oilers, christened the ‘Rai derby.’
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20:00 - 09.09.2023
Kabeberi 7s: KCB face Mwamba, Oilers stand in Kabras' way in quarterfinal pairings
The round is well categorized to see a potential do- or-die final between KCB and Kabras. Should both sides managed to meet, the winner will without doubt clinch the converted overall title.
KCB will now succeed Oilers as the National Sevens Circuit champions.
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