How dancers propelled Blak Blad to victory over KCB Rugby in Impala Floodies

Kenyatta University’s Blak Blad RFC delivered a stunning upset on Saturday 19 October, defeating defending champions KCB Rugby 9-8 in a fiercely contested quarterfinal of the 2024 Impala Floodlit Tournament.

The victory ended KCB's five-year reign, having held the title since 2017, and secured Blak Blad a place in the semifinals, where they will face Menengai Oilers.

Beyond the historic victory, what truly stood out for the students was their spirited cheering squad. The energy and passion of the fans, led by the Onagi dancers, was unmatched.

Despite the rain, the dancers electrified the pitch, reverberated by the ohangla beats, lively singing, and the sound of drums.

In an exclusive interview with Mozzart Sport, the team’s coach Benard Rotich noted that their support was crucial in spurring the team to victory.

“The fans also played a very big role as they cheered us on. Thanks to the YUDHEE nation led by Onagi dancers. It was a game of moments as momentum kept on shifting to both sides at different times and luckily, we were better in executing our territorial game on the day,” Rotich said.

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Early penalty kicks gave Blak Blad the upper hand, and their well-executed chase patterns on kicks put KCB under constant pressure.

“We believed we could do it and went ahead to do all that we could to get the win. We thank God.

We started well and that helped us give them pressure with early penalty kicks on board, we also had the territorial advantage with a better chase which helped us. The backs chased on the kicks which put them under pressure,” he continued.

The students are using this tournament as a springboard ahead of the much-anticipated 2024/25 Kenya Cup season. Rotich revealed that the win over the Bankers boosted their confidence. He however noted that they needed to fine-tune some facets of their game.

“We shall build on our chase patterns, our kicking game, forward attack, and our attitude on defense. The team is in good spirits, we are focusing on our Kenya Cup training since Floodies is just a buildup,” he disclosed.

With the victory now behind them, the team is gearing up to face Menengai Oilers. The Oilers are coming off an impressive 45-3 win over the Catholic University of East Africa (CUEA) Monks and will be keen to pick a victory.

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“The players are aware of how much the game against the Oilers demands from them and I pray they show up in great ways on the day.

A bit of concern lies on set pieces since oilers are good at what they do on set pieces, our defense too we working on that to be able to deny them the rhythm,” the tactician concluded.

The match will be curtain raised by a match pitting Nondies RFC and hosts Impala RFC.

Impala Floodlit Order Of Play

Ladies

Impala Roans vs Impala

Mwamba Ladies vs NYS Ladies

Varsity

Daystar vs Rift Varsities

Stallions vs Impala Boks

Plate playoff

Mwamba vs Strathmore Leos

KCB vs CUEA Monks

Clubs main competition

Nondies vs Impala

Oilers vs Blak Blad