CUEA Monks aim for national 7s circuit glory after impressive Christie 7s performance

The Catholic University of East Africa (CUEA) Monks have set their sights on conquering the 2024 National 7s Circuit after a stellar showing during the Christie 7s. They ended their campaign in a commendable third position and are hoping to build on this momentum in the upcoming legs of the circuit.

They began their campaign by overcoming Nakuru 21-12, before sharing a 12-12 draw with Kabras RFC in the second pool match. The students concluded their pool matches on a high note by defeating Kisumu RFC 19-7 to advance to the quarterfinals.

At this stage, the resilient team edged out favourites Nondies RFC 33-12 to secure a semifinal slot against hosts Kenya Harlequins. Despite their valiant efforts, the students narrowly lost 7-5 to the Quins.

They finished their campaign in third place after a 10-5 victory over the Strathmore Leos in the third-place playoff.

Mozzart Sport caught up with the team’s assistant coach, Caleb Kiprotich, who could not help but shower praises on his players for their impressive performances. Kiprotich has been in charge of the team while head coach Simon Jawichre was in Scotland with Chipu for the World Rugby U20 Trophy.

The coach credited the team’s performance to their experiences from past competitions in the 7s circuit. Last year, they ended the circuit in 14th place with 27 points.

“It is not about the preseason. This team has been playing together under other coaches before, and that experience is what has brought us this far. I thank God for that. Young players like Meshack Opangala and Brian Ambuki are promising and have a great future,” Kiprotich said.

Kabras RFC crowned 2024 Christie 7s winners

The coach also noted that the preseason tournaments provided valuable insights into areas where the team excelled and highlighted aspects that needed improvement.

“We had some preseason games, including Met 7s and Embu 7s. The tournaments helped build our structures and morale for the circuit,” he revealed.

The students have now sent a strong message to the rugby world, and teams will approach them with a tough mentality and strategy. Despite this, Kiprotich was confident that his players would rise to the occasion.

“Teams will come in strong when they play against us. We will take it one game at a time as we hope to replicate the same performance in Kakamega. The players are now confident and believe they can do it. They have the mental strength, and the Kakamega leg will test their fitness levels,” he asserted.

With the second leg of the 2024 National 7s Circuit set for the weekend in Kakamega, Kiprotich remained optimistic that they would maintain their fine form.

“We do not want to be participants but competitors in this tournament. We do not want to be relegated. We are aiming for the overall title,” he concluded.

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