Top seeded Oilers land Pool A in Dala 7s leg

Menengai Oilers have been announced as the top seeds for the upcoming National Sevens circuit that kicks off this weekend.

In the revised fixtures released by the Kenya Rugby Union, the Jomo Kenyatta International Stadium in Kisumu City will be the venue for the Dala 7s, scheduled for 1-2 July 2023.

Oilers, by virtue of being the series defending champions, will be placed in Pool A, that also includes Nakuru RFC, Catholic Monks and Nondescripts.

Pool B will be headlined by last season’s runners up KCB, in a group that features Mombasa RFC, Masinde Muliro University and Kenya Harlequin.

KCB ended their 2022 campaign in second place, losing the title to Menengai Oilers, having accumulated 107 points while the champions ended the campaign with 113 points.

The performance was a drop off from 2019, where The Bankers won four cup titles to be crowned champions.

Last year, they only managed the Kabeberi 7s Cup title after a grueling 12-10 win over Strathmore Leos.

In Pool C, Kabras Sugar will battle it out with Strathmore Leos, Dyastar Falcons and the hosts - Kisumu.

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Dala 7s champions Homeboyz headline Pool D that also has Mwamba, Western Bulls and last season’s overall division 2 champions Makueni.

The 2022 Dala 7s edition saw Homeboyz beat Menengai Oilers 19-14 to reclaim the Dala 7s title in a final at Jomo Kenyatta Stadium on Sunday 3 June 2022.

First played in 1999, the National Sevens Circuit is an annual series of rugby sevens tournaments run by host clubs in conjunction with the Kenya Rugby Union featuring teams from across the country.

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The 2022 National Sevens Circuit saw different winners for each circuit. KCB Rugby won the opening leg at Kabeberi Sevens, Strathmore Leos bagged the Christie Sevens, Mwamba ran away with the Driftwood title and Homeboyz gatecrashed the party at the Dala Sevens in Kisumu.

Teams compete for the National Sevens Circuit title by accumulating points based on their finishing position in each tournament. The season’s circuit currently comprises 6 tournaments in 5 cities and towns across Kenya.

Full breakdown of the draw:

Pool A: Menengai Oilers, Nakuru, Nondescripts, Catholic Monks

Pool B: KCB, Kenya Harlequin, Masinde Muliro, Mombasa

Pool C: Strathmore Leos, Kabras Sugar, Daystar Falcons, Kisumu

Pool D: Homeboyz, Mwamba, Western Bulls, Makueni