‘Tunaanza upya na wazoee hii team kwa fainali’ (‘It’s a fresh start for us, and they should get used to seeing us in finals.’) those were Oscar Ayodi’s words after winning his first silverware as a Homeboyz Head Coach.
Homeboyz won their first Cup title since 2018’s Christie 7s when they came from behind to beat Kenya Harlequin 24-19 in sudden death on September 16. The side also won the overall National sevens Circuit that day. Last weekend, they ended a nine-tournament wait for a trophy by beating Menengai Oilers 19-14 on Sunday at the Jomo Kenyatta International Stadium to be crowned champions.
Speaking to Scrummage after the win, the Homeboyz Head Coach and former Kenya sevens captain assured their supporters that this is just a new beginning. The tactician also mentioned that people should get used to the Deejayz being in the finals.
He said, “Going forward I think I will just use one saying, Tunaanza upya, na wazoee hii team kwa fainali, translated to ‘It’s a fresh start for us, and they should get used to seeing us in finals.'”
Amon Wamalwa was awarded the leading try scorer this weekend after scoring nine tries and totalling 60 points while Mike Nyakundi was named the Most Valuable Player of the tournament with side being a blend of experience and youngsters. Ayodi, a Singapore 7s champion with Kenya 7s, says the team has invested much in their young players and witnessing the fruits of their efforts is gratifying.
“Homeboyz has always been a team to watch in the shorter versions. We have invested so much in these young boys and the fact that they are here representing the club to the highest level of competition is just something good.”
Ayodi also told scrummage that his charges won this round of the circuit because they corrected their previous mistakes. “It has been a journey. We have been correcting our previous mistakes. At least guys did not repeat the mistakes they made in the previous tournaments.”
It has been a competitive circuit, with each round having a different winner. KCB Rugby won the Kabeberi 7s Cup. The second round saw Strathmore Leos claim the Christie 7s title. Mwamba then won the Driftwood 7s after staging a comeback to beat Menengai Oilers 21-7.
The next leg will be hosted by Nakuru RFC at the Nakuru Athletic Club on July 9 and 10.
