Kenyans chase rugby 7s double as girls seek to snatch throne from Uganda

Butula Boys Celebrrate winning Rugby 7s. [Jonah Onyango, Standard]

After months of grueling battles, the last six rugby 7s teams will be looking to stamp their authority at this year’s East Africa games that begin tomorrow in Morogoro, Tanzania.

Led by national champions Butula Boys Senior School and Kinale Girls, the Kenyans will be chasing a double. The boys are looking to defend the title won by St Peter’s Mumias while the girls will be out to recapture the trophy from Uganda’s Jinja Secondary School.

Butula will battle to save the boys’ crown alongside national silver medallists Cardinal Otunga Mosocho and bronze winners Friends School Bokoli.

They will square it out in a round-robin format with Uganda’s Makerere College, Mbarara High School and Busoga College Mwiri. Elerai Secondary School will be looking to write history as the first Tanzanian side to lift the rugby 7s trophy.

National boys’ most valuable player Timonah Elia will be looking to lead his side to another conquest. Elia said that their aim is to lift the trophy and assume the reins after St Peter’s, just like they did at the nationals.

“Our main objective in Tanzania is to win the title and return it to Kenya. After we qualified for the nationals, we set our sights on lifting the trophy, and we made it happen and so I believe that the East African title is also within our reach.”

Bokoli, who dethroned St Peter’s in Western but settled for bronze after losing to Butula in the semis and Cardinal Otunga, are also determined to turn the tables and end the year on a high.

However, the Ugandans are a major threat to their ambitions as they also seek to reclaim the title won by their compatriots, Hanna Mixed School in 2022.

Kinale Girls will be out to upgrade last year’s silver and win the ultimate prize when they face off with fellow Kenyans Friends School Kimobo, whom they overpowered in the national final.

They will also have to defeat defending champions Jinja and Tanzania’s Murongoine Secondary School in the round-robin challenge.