NATIONAL SEVENS CIRCUIT

Menengai Oilers win 2022 National 7s Circuit

By Amanga collins

Posted on July 17, 2022

Menengai Oilers are the 2022 National Sevens Circuit Champions after eliminating their closest Challenger KCB Rugby to reach the Kakamega 7s final.

It is Oilers’ maiden Sevens title and the second one for Gibson Weru who won the title in 2015 with Nakuru RFC.

It will be Menengai Oilers’ fourth final this season and it means they will end the season with 113 or 116 points. Their closest challengers KCB and Strathmore Loes can only attain 107.

Oilers were keen to win this knowing a win would lock out KCB Rugby out of the title race. They were seeking to beat the bankers for the fourth time in a row and they achieved their goal after 14 minutes of play staging a comeback to win 17-12.

This time around the bankers managed to keep Oilers at bay taking a 12-0 lead to the break. Geoffrey Okwatch made a brilliant step to race and score between the post for a converted try for bankers.

The bankers stretched the lead to 12-0 when Okwatch scored again for a 12-0. In the final half, Oilers staged a comeback scoring through Timothy Okwemba and Chrispine Shitundo to tie the scores at 12-12.

Shitundo scored the final try to seal their victory and National Sevens Circuit title.

Oilers will play Kabras RFC who beat Strathmore Leos 14-10 to reach the first final this season.

Kabras also trailed in the game with Strathmore Leos leading 10-0 after two tries. Kabras responded when Alfred Orege offloaded to captain Paul Abuto who scored a converted try for a 10-7 trail.

Kenya under 20 star Mathias Osimbo scored a converted try to allow Kabras reach the first final this season.