It was a statement of intent at the Nakuru Athletic Club yesterday. Kabras Sugar RFC proved exactly why they are the kings of Kenyan rugby right now, dismantling Nakuru RFC (Wanyore) with a clinical 21-0 victory to lift the Great Rift Valley 10-a-side title.
After falling to Menengai Oilers in last year’s final, the Sugarmen arrived in Nakuru with a point to prove. They didn’t just win; they dominated, ending the second day of the tournament without conceding a single try.
The Maruti Magic
The talk of the tournament was undoubtedly Roy Maruti. The teenage sensation has been a revelation, and he saved his best for the final. After Adrian Kwesa opened the scoring with a brilliant solo run from his own half, and Levin Ochieng doubled the lead, Maruti put the nail in the coffin.
Slicing through the Nakuru defense like a hot knife through butter, Maruti touched down under the posts to give Kabras a massive 21-0 lead before the halftime whistle had even blown. From there, it was a defensive masterclass. Even when reduced to nine men following Mike Okello’s yellow card, the Kabras “wall” refused to break.
Sudden Death Drama
While the final was one-sided, the path to the trophy was anything but easy. Kabras had to dig deep in a grueling semifinal against their rivals, the Menengai Oilers.
The match was a tactical deadlock, ending 0-0 in regulation time. It took a moment of individual brilliance from Maruti in sudden-death extra time to secure a 5-0 win and avenge last year’s heartbreak. It was the “final before the final,” and it clearly gave Kabras the momentum they needed to steamroll Nakuru in the main event.
Eyes on the Double
Coach Carlos Katywa couldn’t have asked for a better warm-up. This victory serves as the perfect springboard for their upcoming Enterprise Cup quarterfinal showdown against the Oilers. With their fourth successive Kenya Cup already in the bag and a 41-match winning streak behind them, Kabras look absolutely unstoppable.
Nakuru RFC will have to head back to the drawing board, while the Oilers settled for bronze after beating KCA University 29-7 in the third-place playoff. But for now, the Rift belongs to the Sugarmen.
