Kenya Cup side Mwamba Rugby Club have announced that they will not feature in the final tournament of the National 7s Circuit, Kakamega 7s, following the death of their Team Manager Stephanie-Rose Otieno.
Stephanie died on Monday morning hour after the Prinsloo 7s tournament which was held in Nakuru County by Nakuru RFC. Her death was after a car crash in Nakuru. Funeral arrangements are on with a fundraiser scheduled for 19 July at All Saints Cathedral while a requiem service at St. Paul is set for 22 July. She will be laid to rest at her Anding’o home, Homa Bay County.
The club confirmed their withdrawal via their social media accounts.
“UPDATE: Due to the tragic death of our TM AfrikanStar_ we’ve withdrawn from this weekend’s Kakamega 7s. We thank teams, individuals and the wider rugby fraternity for their comforting words and encouragement. We wish WesternBulls and Official KRU a successful tournament. ” reads a statement by the Club.
UPDATE: Due to the tragic death of our TM @AfrikanStar_ we've withdrawn from this weekend's #Kakamega7s . We thank teams, individuals and the wider rugby fraternity for their comforting words and encouragement. We wish @WesternBulls and @OfficialKRU a successful tournament. pic.twitter.com/sqXtil8Kra
— Mwamba Rugby Football Club (@MwambaRFC) July 14, 2022
Ahead of the Kakamega 7s, Kulabu had collected 73 from the opening five rounds and had been crowned Champions at the Driftwood 7s held in Mombasa County after beating Menengai Oilers in the final.
Mwamba had been pooled alongside, Strathmore Leos, Catholic Monks and Kisumu RFC in Pool B of the final tournament which will also serve as the title decider. Kenya Rugby Union is expected to make amends in the Pools announced on Sunday.
In 2019, Mwamba finished second on the standings but their withdrawal means they will not achieve a top three finish.
