St Mary's Yala ready to dance to national glory

St Mary’s Yala rugby team prepares for the national KSSSA games in Kisumu. [File, Standard]

After eight years in the cold, St Mary’s School Yala are back where they believe they belong,

and this time, they are not just making up the numbers.

The 2003 national rugby 15s champions are heading to Kisumu for the upcoming KSSSA

National Term One Games with renewed belief and a clear target, winning a second national title.

For years, Yala had faded from the big stage, watching as rivals Kisii dominated while they struggled to find their footing.

St Mary's Yala performs their version of the 'haka' after winning the Nyanza Region rugby sevens title. [File, Standard]

Their last appearance at the nationals was in 2018 at Kangaru School in Embu, where they finished fourth. Since then, it has been a long and quiet rebuild.

Now, the “Black Saints” are back, stronger and hungrier. Their return has been built on grit and discipline, best shown during the Nyanza regional games, where they twice stunned East Africa champions Kisii School.

Yala first beat Kisii 11-3 in the preliminaries before edging them 9-6 in a tense final, coming from behind twice to seal the title. Those wins did not just hand them the regional crown; they sent a strong message to the rest of the country.

Yala head coach Shellan Nyawira believes the turnaround has been about restoring belief in the team.

“We found a group that had lost hope,” Nyawira said. “For years, Yala was not competing at the

top level, and that affected the players. We focused on building confidence, discipline and teamwork. It has taken time, but now the boys believe in themselves again.”

Yala head into the Kisumu games at a time when the rugby 15s title looks wide open following the exit of defending champions Vihiga High School, who failed to progress past the Western Region games. With no clear favourite, Yala sense a real chance to go all the way.

However, the task ahead is far from easy. They have been drawn in a tough pool alongside former national and East Africa champions All Saints Embu, as well as Kwale High and Upper Hill.

Team captain Andy Omondi, an influential eighth man, says the players are ready for the challenge.

“For the last three years, we kept losing to Kisii in the Nyanza finals. It was painful, and it pushed

us to work harder,” Omondi said. “This year, we told ourselves it had to change, and we did it.

Now we want to take that spirit to nationals and go even further.”

Omondi believes their recent victories have given them the confidence to compete with the best teams in the country.

“We respect all our opponents, but we are not afraid of them. Our goal is to reach the East Africa games. If we play as a team and stay disciplined, we believe we can achieve it,” he added.

In the other pool, new Western region champions Bungoma High will battle it out with Kisii School, Mangu and Menengai in what promises to be another tightly contested group.

Away from the traditional powerhouses, a new story is also taking shape. Little-known Sidindi Girls from Siaya County have quietly forced their way into the national picture, driven by passion and belief.

The team has defied expectations to qualify for the national games, where they will face Kinale Girls, Paul Harris and St Joseph Girls Kitale. For a school with limited history at this level, simply reaching the nationals is already a big achievement.

Captain Desma Atieno says they are not going to Kisumu just to participate.

“Many people do not know us, but we have worked very hard to get here,” Atieno said. “We want to compete and show that we belong. Our goal is to give our best in every match and see how far we can go.”

As the countdown to the Kisumu games continues, Yala carry the hopes of a proud rugby tradition eager to rise again, while Sidindi represent the spirit of new beginnings.