Tisap 7s: Upsets galore as favourites are eliminated

The final day of the inaugural Tisap 7s saw big names humbled and small ones glorified. Nondies RFC and Mwamba RFC finally broke the jinx to qualify for the semis.

Oilers vs KCB Rugby

Oilers were the first to cause an upset in the first quarterfinal match of the day by defeating KCB Rugby 10-5. 

The Bankers who were fresh from winning Christie 7s were looking to bridge the gap between them and log leaders Kabras Sugar.

Tisap 7s: Big names fail to impress in opening round

This was the first time the KCB Rugby were eliminated from main cup contention in the 2023 circuit. Andrew Amonde’s charges will meet Kisumu RFC in their next match.

Menengai Oilers’ captain Tyson Maina said that they were looking to topple their opponents and control the game.

“The feeling is awesome. The win put us in a good place for the semis. Nondies are a strong side, we will take care of the ball and control the game and see how things turn out,” Maina offered.

Nondies RFC vs Kisumu RFC

Nondies RFC qualified for their first quarterfinal and eventually semifinal for the first time in the 2023 National 7s Circuit after narrowly edging Kisumu RFC 10-7 in the closely contested match.

The milestone came at a time when the Nondies were celebrating 100 years of existence.Nondies’ captain Daniel Okito showered praises to his teammates, noting that the win only motivated them to cruise to the finals. 

“Being our first semifinal, the feeling is good. The hard work and push from the coaches finally worked. It has been three rough weeks and the players worked so hard to get to the semis. We expect to qualify for the finals stage,” Okito said. 

Strathmore Leos vs Blak Blad

It was an all-student affair when Strathmore Leos tackled Kenyatta University’s Blak Blad in the third quarterfinal match. On-form Leos saw off Blak Blad 26-0 to reach the semifinal stage.

The Leos were in Eldoret keen to make a run for their money, as well as build-up on their Christie 7s performance where they qualified for the final stage but lost to KCB Rugby.

Leos’ captain Richard Omeda said that they were aiming at the finals, but taking each game at a time.

“We are very happy to qualify for the semis. We are taking one day at a time and hoping to qualify for the finals. To all our fans, we will make you guys proud,” he offered.

Kabras RFC vs Mwamba RFC

Kabras RFC failed to go past the quarterfinal stage after suffering a 19-5 defeat at the hands of Mwamba RFC. The win saw Mwamba qualify for the semis for the first time since the onset of the 2023 National 7s Circuit. Mwamba have been crushing out of the quarters for the past four legs, but this time, they finally broke the curse.

“It has been a series of four tough legs, but we finally broke it. The semis will take care of itself. We will rest and restructure,” the enthusiastic Mwamba Captain Eliakim Kichoi said.

Tisap 7s semi final pairings

Nondies RFC vs Menengai Oilers

Mwamba RFC vs Strathmore Leos