Rugby giants Upper Hill chase national Sevens glory

Friends School Bokoli rugby Sevens team line up after a past match in Bungoma. [Courtesy]

Former national and East Africa boys’ rugby 7s champions Upper Hill are keen to exert dominance at the 2026 Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association (KSSSA) National Term Two games that begin on Sunday at Mpesa Foundation Academy, Thika.

Upper Hill, who bagged this year’s rugby 15s national title during the Term One games held in Kisumu, are determined to excel in the shorter version of the game.

While it is not easy to have strong teams for both versions, coach Eustace Sifuna said that they have quality players.

“We have quality players and it was easy to raise a formidable squad because those who didn’t make the 15s team focused on sevens,” Sifuna said.

He exuded confidence saying that the players are equal to the task among them Grade 10 learners who are in the national Under-16 team.

“They are young but very skilled and I believe that they have what it takes to qualify for the East Africa games. Our first job is to play well in the preliminaries and top our pool because once we do that then we can work on a winning strategy depending on who we meet in the knockouts.”

Upper Hill, who won both the national and East Africa trophies in 2019, return to the nationals after lifting the Nairobi Region trophy. However, they will have to be at their best as they face off with familiar foes such as Laiser Hill Academy from Rift Valley as well as newcomers who are eager to prove their worth.

They will also be up against compatriots Nairobi School who they defeated in the regional final, St Anthony’s Boys Senior School from Rift Valley, Kitondo School and All Saints Embu from Eastern.

They will also face an uphill task going against Western champions Friends School Bokoli and Butula Boys who ensured that last year’s top four teams from the region including national and East Africa winners St Peter’s Mumias did not go past the regional stage.

Cardinal Otunga and Anjego from Nyanza are also eying the national trophy.