Strathmore Leos edged out Mwamba RFC 21-7 in the final to claim the first-ever Ruff and Tuff 7s title held on July 12, 2025, at the Ngong Racecourse Grounds in Nairobi.
The match began with a series of exchanges, but it was Strathmore who broke the deadlock in the fourth minute. After a missed tackle from Mwamba, Elton Amalemba offloaded to Victor Mola, who scored the first try. Brian Mwendwa successfully converted, giving Strathmore a 7-0 lead.
Strathmore continued to build their momentum, extending their lead before halftime with another try from Elton Amalemba, which Mwendwa converted, resulting in a halftime score of Mwamba 0 – 14 Strathmore Leos.
In the second half, Mwamba struggled with a failed kick, allowing Brian Mwendwa to intercept the ball and sprint for another try. His conversion brought the score to 21-0 in favor of Strathmore.
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In the dying minutes of the match, Mwamba managed to score a consolation try through Mark Gitonga, which was successfully converted but was not enough as Leos bagged a 21-07 victory.
After the match, Strathmore Leos head coach Willis Ojal reflected on the day’s events:
“It’s been a long and tiring day, but definitely worthwhile. We were able to test different combinations, and I think it’s been a day well spent.
We need to tighten a few loose ends, especially since we received two yellow cards in this final. We cannot afford that in the sevens circuit, so we’ll focus on sorting out those small issues before the circuit begins in two weeks,” he stated.
Impala RFC secured seventh place in emphatic fashion with a 50-0 thrashing of USIU. Blak Blad claimed fifth place after edging Nakuru RFC 19-12 in a tightly contested clash. In the third-place playoff, Kenya Harlequin outmuscled tournament hosts Nondescripts with a 24-10 win.
Teams were using the Ruff and Tuff 7s tournament as a crucial tune-up event before the 2025 National Sevens Circuit, which kicks off with the Driftwood 7s in Mombasa on July 26–27.
2025 Ruff and Tuff 7s Results
First Round Results:
• Strathmore Leos 21 – 19 Nakuru
• Kenya Harlequin 19 – 7 Blak Blad
• Impala 14 – 19 Nondescripts
• USIU 12 – 26 Mwamba
Second Round Results:
• Strathmore Leos 24 – 5 Blak Blad
• Kenya Harlequin 12 – 12 Nakuru RFC
• USIU 0 – 44 Nondescripts
• Mwamba 28 – 10 Impala RFC
Third Round Results:
• Nakuru RFC 20 – 7 Blak Blad
• Nondescripts 31 – 0 Mwamba RFC
• USIU 12 – 36 Impala RFC
• Kenya Harlequins 17 – 7 Strathmore Leos
5th Place Semifinals:
• Nakuru 28 – 5 USIU
• Impala 19 – 21 Blak Blad
Main Cup Semifinals:
• Kenya Harlequin 14 – 17 Mwamba
• Strathmore Leos 17 – 17 Nondies
Placement Finals:
• 7th Place Final: USIU 0 – 50 Impala
• 5th Place Final: Nakuru RFC 12 – 19 KU Blak Blad
• 3rd Place Final: Kenya Harlequin 24 – 10 Nondies
Final:
• Strathmore Leos 21 – 7 Mwamba
