Photo Credits: Fanaka Studios
I’m still slightly hungover from the World Cup finals; however, I’d be lying if I said my fever isn’t burning hot for the weekend. Yes, for the weekend, as all roads lead to Nakuru for the beginning of the rugby sevens circuit.
And Prinsloo 7s, at the Nakuru Athletic Club, on the 25th and 26th, will be the first leg.
The beauty of opening weekends is that everyone arrives believing this could be their year. League tables are blank, reputations are little more than rumours waiting to be tested, and every tackle, breakaway, and last-minute conversion carries the weight of a season yet to unfold.
Nakuru doesn't merely host the opening leg; it writes the opening chapter of the Kenya National Sevens Circuit.
I remember…. It’d be a shame if I didn’t tell you this. So come outside. I remember last year's leg of the series in Nakuru like it was yesterday: a double portion of a final that had earlier been played between the two teams at the Driftwoods 7s, KCB vs Strathmore Leos.
KCB had edged Strathmore Leos 15–14. At Prinsloo, the Leos turned the tables emphatically, defeating KCB to claim the title, 24–7.
Was it that apparent that KCB would be thrashed so mercilessly in the final? Who would have thought?
Well, think about this: The Leos had beaten the Catholic Monks 40–0 in the semis, and on the other hand, KCB had narrowly edged out the Oilers 10–5. Now, forgive me, for I won’t say who the favourites had been coming into the rain-soaked game.
Perhaps that's the magic of the sevens circuit. Heroes are made between Friday evening team talks and Sunday afternoon finals, often before crowds that can sense an upset long before the scoreboard confirms it.
This year promises another fresh script. Some teams will be chasing redemption, others a statement victory, while a few simply hope to remind Kenyan rugby that they still belong among the country's elite.
And if you've never experienced Nakuru on a sevens weekend, imagine rugby wrapped in music, colour, laughter and endless banter. Jerseys become uniforms for old friends, strangers celebrate together after spectacular tries, and every whistle sparks another chorus from the terraces.
Oh, TikoFANS know exactly what I’m talking about…
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