2023 was a year of mixed fortunes for KCB Rugby who went on to register improvements compared to 2022 where they missed out on all major trophies on Kenyan soil.
As we approach the end of the year, rugby fans in the country are now reminiscing about the rugby journey in the last 300+ days. Let’s delve into the highlights of KCB Rugby’s journey in the last 300+ days.
KCB Rugby hits
National 7s Circuit
KCB rugby club have had quite a year even though most of their fans think the year was not as expected. It was in the national sevens circuit, that they showcased their dominance over other clubs. They had such a good run managing to scoop the overall winner of the circuit in the end.
Kenya Harlequin vs KCB in a scrum-contest. photo/Scrummage
The bankers managed to win three circuits out of a possible six. In the first circuit -Dala 7s, they were the winners amassing 22 points. They also went on to win the fourth circuit which was held in Nairobi, the Christie 7s also garnering 22 points. They went on to win the last circuit of Kabeberi held in Nairobi. With this, they went on to win the overall national sevens circuit gathering 113 points to reclaim the title last won in 2019. It was their fourth National 7s Circuit title.
Led by Andrew Amonde in the 7s, KCB played 36 matches across five towns winning 32 and losing only four matches. The bankers had an 88.89% winning percentage in the National 7s Campaign. They had a 100% win rate in the Cup finals winning all the finals they played in. In the semis, they had a 60% win rate winning three of their five appearances. They failed to feature in the Tisap 7s semis where they went on to win fifth place.
They had their players shining in the individual awards categories. In the point scorers chart, they managed to produce the overall winner with their fly-half Brian Wahinya managing to amass a total of 140. Even though he did not take part in two legs. Austin Sikutwa came in sixth overall with a total of 80 points.
In the try-scoring chart, they had their highest try scorer, Austin Sikutwa finishing second with a total of 16 tries tying with their sevens captain who is also Shujaas co-captain Vincent Onyala. They were short of one try behind Daystar’s Patrick Odongo who had 17.
From the campaign, Austin Sikutwa, Vincent Onyala, Elvis Olukusi, Samuel Asati, and Festus Shiasi earned National 7s callups. Asati, Shiasi went on to break into the Shujaa squad joining Onyala. The trio helped Kenya win Africa Men’s 7s, qualifying for the Olympics and also won the Safari 7s. Sikutwa and Olukusi represented Kenya Morans in the Safari 7s.
KCB Rugby in Kenya Cup
In the Kenya Cup, KCB had a fair run and managed to reach the Kenya Cup finals held in Kakamega at the ASK Showground home to their arch-rivals Kabras.
In the 2022/23 campaign, KCB Rugby participated in nine matches, securing victories in seven encounters and experiencing two losses. Their offensive prowess was evident as they scored a total of 379 points, averaging an impressive 42.1 points per match. On the defensive front, they conceded 135 points, maintaining a solid defence with an average of 15 points conceded per match.
Moving into the 2023/24 season, KCB Rugby have continued their winning momentum by triumphing in the first three matches. This extends their overall performance in 2023 to 12 matches played in the Kenya Cup. Within these 12 matches, they encountered only two defeats, winning the rest.
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In terms of points, KCB Rugby have been prolific, scoring a total of 580 points across the 12 matches. On the defensive end, they conceded 172 points making the second-best defence in the country.
In 2023, KCB also played in the 40th edition of the Impala Floodlights tournament and showcased their dominance by claiming the 10th title, making them the most successful club in the tournament.
They had a smooth run, going past Kenya Harlequin and Blak Blad before meeting with Nondies RFC in the finals. They had a slim win of 25-23 recording the 10th win in the tournament, fourth in a row since 2018.
KCB contributed players to the Kenya Simbas squad with Brian Wahinya, Peter Waitere, Elvis Olukusi, Thomas Okidia Wilhite Mususi representing Simbas in Currie Cup, Elgon Cup and Victoria Cup.
KCB Rugby misses
Despite KCB Rugby’s commendable performance in 2023, the year also brought some disappointments for the team. One notable miss was their inability to reclaim the Kenya Cup championship, a trophy they aimed to recapture after successful campaigns in 2017 to 2021.
Heading to Kakamega to face Kabras in the Kenya Cup final, KCB had the intention of replicating their past victories on Kabras’ home turf. However, Kabras, having secured a 29-23 win at the Den to host the final, proved formidable once again, sealing a 19-9 victory. This defeat marked the second consecutive year KCB fell short after missing the Kenya Cup final in 2022.
KCB’s Darwin Mukidza kicks agaisnt Mwamba in Kenya Cup. Photo Courtesy/Denis Acre-hALF
In a subsequent showdown in the Enterprise Cup against Kabras, KCB sought redemption for their 9-6 loss in the 2022 Enterprise Cup and the Kenya Cup defeat.
Despite being favourites and facing a Kabras team without most of their first-team players due to national assignments, KCB found themselves leading 18-7 at halftime. Kabras however mounted a strong comeback, handing the Bankers a 30-27 loss, denying them a 15s silverware for the second consecutive year.
The Enterprise Cup drought continues for KCB, extending their trophy-less streak to six years in this competition.
