KRU Championship: Mwamba, Zetech, Homeboyz kickstart season with dominant wins

The 2025/26 Kenya Rugby Union (KRU) Championship kicked off on Saturday, 22 November, with intensity, grit, and a clear show of intent from teams eyeing promotion.

Mwamba RFC, Zetech Oaks, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) Cougars, and Homeboyz launched their campaigns with impressive opening-day victories.

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National Youth Service (NYS) Spades were given a rough welcome to second-tier rugby after falling 37-6 to a rampant Mwamba RFC side at the Goan Institute on Saturday, 22 November.

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Mwamba, who are determined to make an immediate return to the Kenya Cup, came into the clash eager to secure maximum points. However, their start was far from clinical. Despite dominating territory and set pieces, they failed to convert early visits into the green zone.

Their breakthrough came via Christopher Asira’s boot after Spades conceded an early infringement. Spades attempted to steady themselves, but their forward momentum was repeatedly disrupted by Mwamba’s defensive discipline.

Another moment of desperation from the visitors resulted in a second infringement, and Asira punished them accordingly.

A sin bin to Mwamba prop Joseph Gitoi briefly threatened to shift the momentum, but the hosts held their composure. In the final moments of the first half, they opted for a scrum instead of taking the points from yet another Spades infringement.

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It proved to be a masterstroke. Their forwards powered through, allowing Aldrin Andaje to score Mwamba’s first try of the season. Brian Kabura added the extras to give Mwamba a comfortable halftime lead.

Mwamba returned for the second half with renewed fire. Andaje struck again off a dominant scrum maul, with Kabura maintaining accuracy from the tee. Spades finally registered points from a Romanos Kluivert penalty after playing on advantage, but Mwamba’s response was ruthless.

Andaje completed a remarkable hat-trick as Mwamba’s scrum continued to dismantle the Spades pack. Kabura, who enjoyed a near-perfect day with the boot, added the conversions.

The pair combined again for two more tries and conversions as Mwamba ran riot late in the match. NYS Spades managed a late penalty, but the damage had long been done.

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JKUAT 24-10 Mombasa RFC

Over at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), hosts Cougars dug deep to secure a 24-10 win over a resilient Mombasa RFC.

Zetech Oaks 41-38 USIU Martials

One of the day’s most entertaining fixtures saw Zetech Oaks outgun United States International University (USIU) Martials 41-38 in a high-scoring thriller.

Homeboyz 31-28 Mean Machine

At the RFUEA grounds, Homeboyz kicked off their season with a hard-fought 31-28 win over the University of Nairobi’s Mean Machine.