Kisii School successfully defended their Nyanza regional rugby title, securing a historic three-peat after edging out former champions St. Mary’s School, Yala 3-0 in a hard-fought final at Rapogi Boys High School in Migori County.
The highly competitive match, which kicked off late in the evening, saw Kisii claim victory with a last-minute penalty.
Once again, Matrix Matangi emerged as the tournament’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) after slotting in the decisive penalty from over 55 meters out.
The opportunity came after a crucial turnover by the team’s top try-scorer in the tournament, Jackson Kengere.
The match began with Yala dominating much of the first half. They were awarded two penalties but failed to convert their chances. Kisii also had opportunities to take an early lead but missed two penalty attempts.
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In the second half, Kisii came out stronger on defence, denying Yala’s fly-half two drop-goal attempts with well-timed charge-downs.
With just three minutes left on the clock, Kisii earned a crucial penalty, which Matangi—who is also part of Kenya’s U-18 squad—expertly converted to seal the victory.
Head coach Lee Aston expressed his satisfaction with his team’s performance.
“The boys really turned up for the game. We expected a tough match, but we were ready to counter them,” said Aston in a post-match interview with Scrummage Africa.
With this win, Kisii School will now represent the Nyanza region at the national championships set to take place at the coast.
