Bumper entry for Top Fry rugby

TOP FRY NAKURU RFC VS WESTERN BULLS
Meshack Ochieng (right)of Top Fry Nakuru RFC runs with the ball past a Western Bulls player to score a try during a Kenya cup at Nakuru Athletic Club on January 10,2015. Top Fry Nakuru RFC won 39-3PHOTO:KIPSANG JOSEPH

The three-day competition, to be played from Friday to Sunday at the Nakuru Athletic Club, had earlier planned 24 teams but the big entry has forced organisers to increase the number of pools. This has forced Kenya Rugby Union to revise the fixtures.

This means the tournament would move to nine pools of four teams each.

Tournament director Ian Mwangi said due to the high number of teams, some of them would be played at Nakuru Day Secondary School.

"We have been forced register the extra teams that had earlier applied to compete in the tournament. We will accommodate them all," he said.

"Some of the matches will be played at Nakuru Day Secondary School in order to finish at the right time."

In an earlier communication, Mwangi had indicated that only the 14 Kenya Cup League sides would get the automatic entry to the event with a few more from the Erick Shirley Shield Competition and Nationwide League to fill the gap.

The new development is a great relief to many teams from the lower tier leagues that had earlier been dropped from the tournament. They can now focus on their final training to polish their skills as they have been admitted back in one of the biggest rugby tournaments in the East and Central Africa.

The Top Fry Great Rift Ten Aside rugby has so far attracted a total sponsorship of Sh7.7 million with The Standard Group coming in as media sponsors. Title sponsors Menengai Oil Refinery Ltd will chip in Sh2 million.

Other sponsors are Kabras Sugar Sh600,000, Reliable Concrete Sh300,000, Coca Cola Sh600,000 and Reglis Ltd Sh250,000.

The fixtures are expected to be released by the Kenya Rugby Union tomorrow.