Nairobi clubs plot to halt Nakuru’s run

Nakuru Rugby Football Club’s recent dominance will be put to the test this weekend when they host the Top Fry Great Rift 10-a-side tournament.

Since winning their maiden Kenya Cup title last year, Nakuru has been the form team in local competitions.

A fortnight ago, the club added the Enterprise Cup title to their trophy cabinet after beating KCB 18-13 in the finals.

But the club’s credentials will be on the line when the Great Rift tournament goes down at Nakuru Athletic Club.

It remains to be seen whether the Nairobi teams that make their Easter Pilgrimage to the floor of the Rift Valley will deny Nakuru of the title currently being held by KCB.

Last year’s final was an all-Nairobi affair with KCB trouncing University of Nairobi’s Mean Machine 10-0 to lift their maiden title.

KCB, Machine, Quins, Impala, Mwamba and  Homeboyz are all spoiling for a fight with the all-conquering Nakuru.

However, Nakuru coach Dominique Habimana is aware of the fact that they are the team to beat.

“We have a well-oiled machine that is ready to mow down the opposition and recapture the crown.

Then we will set our sights on retaining the Kenya Cup and the Bamburi Rugby Super Series (BRSS) titles,” said Habimana.

“We want to completely starve off the Nairobi sides all the titles up for grabs this season.”

It’s now two decades since Nakuru won its only Great Rift title and their passage to the Main Cup looks easy as they begin their campaign Sunday with matches against minnows Blak Blad of Kenyatta University, Technical University of Kenya and Thika in Pool F.

After this weekend’s Great Rift battle, focus will shift to the first leg of the 2014 BRSS in Uganda on April 26.

Thereafter the semi finals of the Kenya Cup will be played on May 10 with Nakuru up against Strathmore University and KCB locking horns with Kenya Harlequin.

“We are fielding both our senior and development side in the tournament and that is how determined we are to battle at all fronts,” explained Habimana.

However, KCB coach Curtis Olago described Great Rift 10s a small battle that they want to wade through with ease before focusing on bigger battle that is Kenya Cup.

“I want my young team to retain this one first before creating a lee way for a bigger Kenya Cup tussle,” said Olago.

The champions have an arguably easy Pool A against Egerton, Comras and Bungoma in the championship that gets underway at 8am.

It’s a close call between last year’s beaten finalists Mean Machine and Mwamba for cup quarter final qualification in Pool B.

“The boys need to win a trophy this season after Kenya Cup and Enterpsie Cup escaped them,” said Mwamba coach Meli Wainabuli.

Arguably Nakuru Rugby Football Club is the best team in the country, boasting of having the topmost titles in the country.

The Great Rift side made history by becoming the first club outside Nairobi to clinch the coveted Kenya Cup title last year and would make the bulk of the Ndovu side that claimed Bamburi Rugby Super Series (BRSS) title.

A fortnight ago, Nakuru were to add to their trophy cabinet, the regional Enterprise Cup title.

Last year, the Great Rift side dominated to outclass Strathmore University 37-3 in the final to lift Kenya Cup before their franchise side Ndovu trampled Uganda’s Ruwenzori 24-18 to clinch the BRSS title.

Ndovu did that in style, having broken from Rhinos side that had won BRSS crown six times.

A fortnight ago, they edged out Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB) 18-13 to bag the Enterprise Cup.