Dala 7s: Andrew Amonde’s prayer answered as KCB draw Strathmore Leos in quarters

KCB Rugby’s interim coach, Andrew Amonde, will sleep a happy man after his wish came true at the Dala 7s hosted at the Mamboleo Showground in Kisumu on Saturday, 13 September.

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The Lions, chasing the overall National Sevens Circuit crown, topped Pool C unbeaten and were handed a quarterfinal clash against Strathmore Leos – the side Amonde had openly admitted was their only stumbling block to sealing the title.

“We have played very well today. So far, we have won all our matches. We said that we would take one day at a time. Hopefully, we get to meet Strathmore so we can seal the competition in advance.

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But we are glad the way the boys have played, and we have ticked our boxes. We keep pushing until we get to where we want to be,” the former Kenya Sevens captain told Mozzart Sport.

Still, Amonde remained cautious, acknowledging that the road to the title was anything but simple.

“It is still pressure because we still have to win the quarterfinals to be crowned champions. We now focus on winning,” he added.

Victory over Strathmore would not only book KCB a semifinal spot but also hand them the 2025 National Sevens Circuit crown.

Defending Dala 7s champions Kabras Sugar showed resilience in Pool A, beginning with a 34-15 victory over MMUST, before digging deep to edge Nakuru RFC 21-14 in their second match.

They capped their pool campaign with a 19-14 win over Catholic Monks, finishing unbeaten and in control of the group.

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Acting captain William Mwanji, standing in for the injured Brian Tanga, praised the team’s spirit.

“Winning all our games feels good. That was our main aim coming here. From the quarters, we will take it a day at a time. We came to Dala 7s as the defending champions, and that motivates us to keep going.

Our goal is to retain the title we won last year," Mwanji offered.

Kabras will face Nondescripts in the quarterfinals.

The Leos stormed Pool D with convincing wins over Impala (29-0) and Kisumu (36-0), before falling 24-7 to Menengai Oilers in their final pool match.

Their two early victories, however, secured them a place in the last eight.

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Captain Barnabas Owuor, deputising for injured leaders Shem Okolla and Gabriel Ayimba, was pleased with his teammates' determination.

“Our goal coming into this tournament was to make it to the cup quarters. Winning two games against Kisumu and Impala has shown the positive energy and mentality that Leos players have.

Getting to the final will be good for us. We will try to win all our matches," he averred.

They now face a tough test against KCB.

The Oilers were in ruthless form, brushing aside Kisumu RFC 50-0 and Impala RFC 48-0 before downing Strathmore Leos 24-7 to finish Pool D unbeaten.

Their sharp attack and solid defense left little doubt about their intentions at the Dala 7s.

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Coach Lawi Buyachi said their early elimination at the Kabeberi 7s had fueled their hunger.

“The boys have shown up well, getting into the quarterfinals, and they are raring to see how far they can go after losing to Daystar at the Kabeberi 7s quarterfinal.

I think Daystar is a great and decent side. We did not have to lose, but we lost. But that gave us more hunger to come to Dala and do the best we can do," Buyachi said.

They will meet Mwamba RFC in the quarterfinals.

Mwamba RFC were equally impressive, thrashing Embu RFC 40-0 and seeing off Homeboyz 24-5. Though they fell 33-5 to KCB in their final group match, their two early victories ensured safe passage to the last eight.

Catholic University of East Africa (CUEA) Monks produced one of the day’s most dramatic results, staging a remarkable 14-10 comeback win over Nakuru RFC in their opening Pool A clash.

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However, they faltered against MMUST (17-12) and defending champions Kabras (19-14), finishing with one win and two losses.

Despite the setbacks, their spirited display carried them into the quarters, where they will face the in-form Daystar Falcons.

Nondies started their Pool B campaign in style, humiliating Mombasa RFC 41-0. But they stumbled in the second round, falling 31-12 to Daystar Falcons.

They bounced back strongly to defeat Kenya Harlequin 29-5, sealing their place in the quarters with two wins out of three.

Nondies will now test their strength against defending champions Kabras in the quarterfinals.

2025 Dala 7s Cup Quarterfinal Pairings

Kabras RFC vs Nondescripts RFC

Daystar Falcons vs CUEA Monks

KCB RFC vs Strathmore Leos

Mwamba RFC vs Menengai Oilers

2025 Dala 7s Results

Division I

Round One

Catholic Monks 14-10 Nakuru RFC

Kabras Sugar 34-15 MMUST

MSC Rugby 5-41 Nondescripts

Daystar Falcons 20-14 Kenya Harlequin

Mwamba RFC 40-0 Embu RFC

KCB Rugby 36-12 Homeboyz RFC

Menengai Oilers 50-00 Kisumu RFC

Strathmore Leos 29-0 Impala RFC

Round Two

Catholic Monks 12-17 MMUST

Kabras Sugar 21-14 Nakuru RFC

MSC Rugby 14-29 Kenya Harlequin

Daystar Falcons 31-12 Nondescripts

Mwamba RFC 24-5 Homeboyz RFC

KCB Rugby 36-0 Embu RFC

Menengai Oilers 48-0 Impala RFC

Strathmore Leos 36-0 Kisumu RFC

Round Three

MMUST 19-24 Nakuru RFC

Kenya Harlequin 5-29 Nondescripts

Homeboyz RFC 31-0 Embu RFC

Impala RFC 12-15 Kisumu RFC

Kabras Sugar 19-14 Catholic Monks

Daystar Falcons 41-0 MSC Rugby

KCB Rugby 33-5 Mwamba RFC

Strathmore Leos 7-24 Menengai Oilers