Nakuru RFC aiming at Main Cup title in Tisap 7s

Nakuru RFC head coach Kennedy Njoroge is still enjoying the sweet smell of his charges’ success after they reached the semifinal stage at Christie 7s. The side bagged 15 points in Christie 7s, which was their best performance in the tournament so far.

They currently sit seventh on the log with 44 points ahead of Tisap and Kabeberi 7s tournaments.

The side popularly known as Wanyore have witnessed an improvement since the first leg in Dala where they finished at sixth position to pick 10 points. They would later drop in Driftwood, picking 7 points, which was their lowest performance so far.

They would then qualify for the quarterfinals of the Prinsloo 7s, but proved too weak for the Sugarmen, losing 22-5. They then lost 28-12 to Strathmore Leos in the fifth place playoff to finish in seventh place.

Njoroge’s charges then made a remarkable stage in Nairobi, Christie 7s, seeing off big guns to qualify for the semifinal stage for the first time in the 2023 NSC. They were disqualified from the main cup contention after losing 33-7 to the strong Bankers in this stage.

Speaking to Mozzart Sport, coach Njoroge noted that the semifinal appearance motivated them to achieve more heading to the second last leg of the National 7s Circuit; Tisap 7s set for the Eldoret Sports Club from September 2-3.

“Reaching the semis gave us a lot of confidence that we will carry on going to Tisap,” he offered.

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Njoroge further emphasised the vital need of building resilience and maintaining consistency across all departments in order to win the Tisap 7s. He outlined that the circuit only got competitive, and his charges had to develop mental toughness to remain competitive.

“We should build resilience and skill going to the next leg.We just need to be consistent in a few departmental areas. There have to be adjustments as we go so that we can get better, but building up from what we have been doing going to the two legs,” he told Mozzart Sport.

His confidence also stemmed from the injury-free squad. The coach pointed out that they had not lost any player to injuries during the past legs.

“We did not have any injuries in Christie 7s, so I can say I have a complete squad. We are doing well and our recovery protocol is up to par,” he revealed.

The former Menengai Oilers assistant coach also expressed confidence in his charges' abilities to make history as the first team to win the inaugural Tisap 7s.

“I am expecting a good outing from our boys in Tisap. I am looking at us clinching the overall title because we had outstanding preparations. Fans should expect a lot from us, including winning the title,” he concluded.

Nakuru RFC have been placed in Pool D alongside Mwamba RFC, arch rivals Nondescripts, and UOE Trojans for the upcoming Tisap 7s.