The highly anticipated Kenya Cup encounter between Kabras RFC and KCB Rugby at KCB Sports Club was called off at 10-10 after the first half due to heavy rains that left the pitch unplayable.
According to Kenya Rugby Union Director of Rugby Paul Odera, the centre referee Kevin Wambugu deemed the pitch unplayable and the fixtures and competition committee will determine next cause of action.
“We were able to play the first half, but at halftime the centre referee, Kevin Wambugu, ruled that the pitch was unplayable due to player safety concerns. It was unfortunate because it had been a good game. We will now be guided by the regulations through the Fixtures and Leagues Committee, which will review the different options, whether the result will stand or whether the match will be played at a later date,” said Odera.
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Should the match be decided as a draw, result means Kabras RFC extend their remarkable unbeaten run to 51 matches and remain top of the Kenya Cup standings.
The match was played under difficult conditions with heavy rain in Nairobi making the surface slippery and forcing both sides to rely heavily on tactical kicking. Heading into the clash, KCB Rugby were chasing their first win over Kabras since February 2022, having lost nine consecutive encounters against the Sugarmen in both the Kenya Cup and Enterprise Cup.
Kabras, on the other hand, arrived at the Den looking to stretch their winning streak after recently reaching the historic milestone of 50 consecutive Kenya Cup victories.
KCB started the match brightly and controlled the early exchanges, playing most of the rugby in the right areas of the pitch. The Bankers pushed Kabras onto the back foot and earned early penalty opportunities, but Brian Wahinya missed his first two attempts at goal.
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Wahinya eventually broke the deadlock in the 17th minute, giving the hosts a 3-0 lead. KCB continued to dominate territory and pressure the visitors before crossing the whitewash for the opening try through Fidel Maina, which Wahinya converted to give the Bankers a 10-0 advantage.
Kabras responded after struggling to gain field position for much of the first half. The Sugarmen made their first meaningful visit into the KCB 22 after nearly 25 minutes of play and capitalized immediately, holding onto possession before scoring a try under the posts. Eric Cantona added the conversion to reduce the deficit to 10-7.
Kabras continued to build momentum and were rewarded with a penalty on the stroke of halftime, which Cantona converted to level the scores at 10-10.
However, the second half could not resume as the heavy rain worsened, leaving the surface unsafe for play and reducing visibility. Match officials ultimately called off the encounter due to player safety concerns.
