Homeboyz to face Impala as National Sevens Series resumes

What you need to know:

  • Besides four-time champions Impala Saracens, Homeboyz will also face hosts Western Bulls and Menengai in Pool “A”
  • Kenya Commercial Bank, the 2013 and 2014 Series winners, highlight Pool “C” that has 2017 champions Kabras Sugar, Kisii and University side Masinde Muliro
  • The 2015 series winners Nakuru are in Pool “D” alongside three-time winners Kenya Harlequin, 2009 Series champions Strathmore Leos and Egerton Wasps

Defending champions Homeboyz will battle among others Impala Saracens when the 2019 Stanbic Bank National Sevens Series gets underway on July 20-21 at the Bullring in Kakamega.

The Kakamega Sevens, which will be hosted by Western Bulls and Kabras Sugar Rugby Clubs in 2019 and 2020, replaces the Sepetuka Sevens leg that was hosted by Homeboyz for the last two years in Eldoret.

Besides four-time champions Impala Saracens, Homeboyz will also face hosts Western Bulls and Menengai in Pool “A” of the tournament that will see Mwamba - who have won the Series four times - take on Nondescripts, Mean Machine from the University of Nairobi and the invitational side Kisumu in Pool “B”.

Machine have been relegated from Kenya Cup rugby league while Kisumu and Western Bulls will be making their return to the topflight next season.

Kenya Commercial Bank, the 2013 and 2014 Series winners, highlight Pool “C” that has 2017 champions Kabras Sugar, Kisii and University side Masinde Muliro.

The 2015 series winners Nakuru are in Pool “D” alongside three-time winners Kenya Harlequin, 2009 Series champions Strathmore Leos and Egerton Wasps.

Meanwhile, Mwangi Karimi is the inaugural president of Kenya Rugby Referee Association (KRRA). Karimi was elected on Saturday at a Nairobi hotel.

Karimi, who is the outgoing Kenya Rugby Referees Society (the precursor to KRRA), beat challenger Gregory Sang by a vote in tightly contested race that went to the second round before Karimi emerged victorious.

In the first round, both Karimi and Sang garnered seven votes each forcing the second round. In the tiebreaker, Karimi got three out of a possible five.

The elections were conducted during KRRA’s first Annual Delegates Conference that brought together 15 delegates from five regional societies.

At the same time, Alfred Okwemba was elected unopposed as the first KRRA Secretary General while Alice Zawadi got eight votes beating her challenger Ali Shire with two votes to clinch the treasurer’s seat.

Veterans Sammy Kariuki, Lameck Ongati, and Damas Ogwe were nominated as KRRA’s Trustees with Constant Cap being co-opted into the Committee as Training and Development Officer.