Kenya Cup league action resumes this weekend
Kenya Cup 15-aside league action returns this weekend with six fixtures across the country.
Last season’s cup finalists Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB) and Kabras are set to usher in newcomers Kisumu and Western Bulls respectively in the first round of the 16-match league.
Three derbies will highlight the opening round that will see Nairobi host four fixtures while Nakuru and Kakamega have a match each.
At the Nakuru ASK Grounds, Menengai Oilers kick off their second Kenya Cup appearance against Wanyore as they pick up from their Impala Floodlits tournament momentum where they reached first cup final to lose 23-14 to KCB.
Against Nakuru last season, Oilers registered an away loss in a 10-try match that Wanyore won by 47 points but conceded 37 while playing at home on February 16.
Oilers finished eighth last season and will be looking forward to attempting first playoffs cut off a current good form off two Floodlies’ wins over Ngong Road oldest clubs - Impala Saracens and Kenya Harlequins.
In Kakamega, Kabras host Kisumu RFC in a clash that will once again see Kabras, just like last season, go for maximum points from league kick-off for standings command advantage to reserve the right to host the April, 2020 cup final should the Millers go past the direct semi-finals.
In Nairobi, Homeboyz and Nondescripts host Harlequin and Impala respectively in a double-header at the Jamhuri Grounds.
During the recent Floodlits tournament, Homeboyz thrashed Quins 30-5 while Nondies will be after revenge at home courtesy of losing the title by two points in a 17-15 loss.
The other two Nairobi fixtures will see Black Blad host Stanbic Mwamba at Kenyatta University Grounds whilst the defending champions host Western Bulls at Ruaraka in the final weekend clash.
Defending champions KCB welcome back their scoring machine Darwin Mukidza in their maximum points hunting game after eight months injury lay-off. Mukidza last featured for KCB in February with KCB beating Kabras Sugar 44-20.
All Kenya Cup matches will be curtain-raised by respective Eric Shirley Shield (ESS) matches that features the second teams.
ESS matches kick off at 2pm except for the doubleheader at Jamhuri grounds featuring Homeboyz v Quins and Nondies v Impala that will be played at 10 am at 12 noon respectively.
The league will run for nine weekends in a row before taking the Christmas break that will be replaced by the first round of the Enterprise Cup competition before the return of Kenya Cup on the second weekend of January.
