St Peter’s Mumias reclaimed the KSSSA National 7s title after edging Koyonzo High School 14-12 in a pulsating final played at the Bull Ring on Friday evening.
This victory marks their first National Rugby 7s title since 2015 and is the first post-COVID national crown, coming exactly a decade after their maiden triumph.
St Peter’s bag to EA
Alongside champions St Peter’s, Koyonzo, Bungoma, and Bwake Boys have qualified for the East African Games set to be held in Kakamega later this month.
Koyonzo were quick off the mark, scoring early to take a 7-0 lead. St Peter’s, however, responded through Clinton Njenga, who spotted a gap on the outside of the ruck, rounded his marker, and touched down under the posts before converting to level the scores at 7-7.
The match remained deadlocked at halftime, with both sides locked at 7-7.
In the second half, Koyonzo took the game to St Peter’s and reclaimed the lead with an unconverted try to make it 12-7. With less than two minutes remaining, it seemed Koyonzo were on course to reclaim the title they last won at the same venue in 2022.
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However, the Saints had one final say. A break through the middle opened up Koyonzo’s defence, and Clinton once again finished off the move with a centre-post try. He stepped up to convert and handed St Peter’s a narrow 14-12 lead.
Koyonzo attempted to respond in the dying seconds, but a knock-on in the final play ended their hopes and sealed victory for St Peter’s Mumias.
In the third-place playoff, Bungoma sealed a 12-7 win over outgoing champions Bwake Boys to secure a podium finish.
Their earlier semi-final appearance also guaranteed them a debut slot at the East African 7s Games.
Kinale Girls crowned Champions
In the girls’ category, Kinale Girls claimed their maiden National 7s title after an impressive campaign capped with a 19-5 win over outgoing champions St Joseph’s Kitale.
Kinale had to come from behind to seal the title, showing grit and determination throughout the final.
Kinale and JOGA, who were also impressive in the competition, will be joined by St Theresa and Paul Harris at the East African Games.
