Christie 7s: Kabras woes persist as top guns KCB, Oilers and Strathmore go unscathed

Defending champions Kabras RFC were the biggest casualties on a dramatic opening day of the 2025 Christie 7s played on Saturday, 16 August at the RFUEA Grounds in Nairobi.

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The Lurambi-based outfit failed to make it out of the group stages.

The Sugarmen, coached by Marlin Mukolwe, arrived in Nairobi as clear favourites and with a full-strength squad, a stark contrast to last year, when they stunned the field with a makeshift side largely made up of schoolboys.

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In 2024, many of their top players were away on national duty at the Rugby Africa Cup and the Paris Olympics.

This time, they rolled out the heavy artillery that included Kenya internationals Brian Tanga, Jone Kubu, Derrick Ashiundu, Griffin Chao, William Mwanji, and Jackson Siketi, among others.

On paper, Kabras looked unstoppable. But on the field, their campaign unravelled unexpectedly.

They started their pool campaign on a high, running riot over invitational side Ruga Ruga Select with a 34-5 win. Their momentum was short-lived as they were stunned 17-12 by Daystar Falcons in round two.

Tries from Clinton Amukwachi and Chris Obuya undid Kabras’ early momentum, and the defeat left them in a precarious position.

In their final pool clash, Menengai Oilers, led by Samuel Ovwamu and Denis Abukuse, held their nerve to edge Kabras 5-0 in a tense, low-scoring affair.

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That result confirmed Kabras' end to their title defence.

Pool A

Hosts Kenya Harlequin gave their fans plenty to cheer about, starting their campaign with a 34-15 win over Mombasa RFC, followed by a clinical 41-0 demolition of Zetech Oaks.

Ramadhan Masete stole the show in the second match with four tries.

But their dominance was checked in the last game of the pool, where Strathmore Leos produced a late surge to beat Quins 26-22 in one of the most entertaining fixtures of the day.

Strathmore had earlier bounced back from an opening-round defeat to Zetech Oaks (19-17) with a 26-5 victory over Mombasa. The Leos, champions of the Prinsloo 7s a fortnight ago, showed resilience and flair, with Gabriel Ayimba and Victor Odhiambo leading their attack.

Both Quins and Leos booked their quarterfinal spots, with Zetech Oaks’ upset win over Strathmore in round one proving the highlight for the university side, though they narrowly missed out on qualification.

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Pool B

Catholic University of East Africa (CUEA) Monks continued their impressive rise in the 7s circuit, powering through the group stages unbeaten.

They dispatched Impala RFC 33-5 in their opener, brushed aside MMUST 24-5, and held Nakuru RFC to a thrilling 7-7 draw in their final game to top the pool.

The Monks’ speedster Hassan Wambani dazzled with a hat-trick against Impala, while Dennis Mulinge and Brian Nyamboki also played key roles in their campaign.

Impala RFC, who looked shaken after their heavy opening defeat, recovered to beat Nakuru (19-5) and MMUST (19-12), earning themselves a lifeline into the quarterfinals.

Nakuru’s strong start against Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology (MMUST) Rugby (22-7) was not enough, as their later slip-ups cost them progression.

Pool C

Menengai Oilers confirmed their growing status as a sevens powerhouse by topping Pool C.

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They opened their campaign with a 15-12 win over Daystar Falcons before seeing off Ruga Ruga 26-7. Their crowning moment came with a gritty 5-0 victory over defending champions Kabras.

Daystar Falcons, meanwhile, proved giant-killers. They stunned Kabras 17-12 in round two and then emphatically beat Ruga Ruga 38-5 to secure their place in the last eight.

Their youthful exuberance, combined with sharp finishing from Clinton Amukwachi and Chris Obuya, made them one of the surprise packages of the tournament so far.

For Kabras, however, the pool turned into a graveyard. Despite their galaxy of stars, two losses left them third in the standings, ending their main cup hopes.

Pool D

Driftwood 7s champions KCB Rugby were in ruthless form throughout day one.

They thumped Nondies 35-12 in their opener, humbled Blak Blad 38-0 in their second, and wrapped up the pool with a 19-12 win over Mwamba RFC.

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The Bankers were powered by George Ooro and Floyd Wabwire, who scored braces in the early rounds, while Bramwel Kilwake and Samuel Asati added spark.

Nondies joined them in the quarterfinals after edging Mwamba 17-12 and defeating Blak Blad 10-0.

Mwamba’s failure to convert crucial opportunities in their last two games saw them bow out of contention.