KCB keen to open Monks account
Kenya Cup defending champions KCB will tackle varsity side Catholic Monks in round eight of local rugby league in a fixture set to be staged at the KCB Sports club this weekend.
On paper, this could be a walk in the park for the Bankers after the Curtis Olago-coached side edged Strathmore Leos 33-18 at the Ruaraka grounds to record their seventh successive win this season, stretching their lead at the top to 35 points with four games left to the playoffs.
Monks on their part remain bottom placed despite scoring two converted tries and two penalties to beat Masinde Muliro University of Agriculture and Technology (MMUST) 20-13 in the bottom of the Kenya Cup table clash at Monks ground.
In another fixture of the day, second-placed Kabras Sugar will travel to Nairobi to tackle Mwamba RFC as the Sugarmen seek to keep close tabs on their rivals KCB at the top of the Kenya Cup league.
Kabras Sugar thrashed Homeboyz RFC 57-0 in one of the two rescheduled fixtures at the Kakamega grounds last weekend and should be a morale booster heading to the Mwamba fixture.
Courtesy of the win Kabras secured a bonus point and closed the gap on league leaders KCB RFC to a point with only three games left in the playoffs.
Critical wins
The much improved Kenya Harlequins will travel to Nakuru to face rivals Nakuru RFC in a fixture set to be staged at the Nakuru Athletic club.
Despite posting critical wins the Paul Murunga-coached side will be hoping to be on their best game in Nakuru after the home side bounced back to winning ways with a 37-8 win over Mean Machine at the University of Nairobi ground.
On their part Harlequins which is one of the most decorated rugby teams in the country were 33–18 winners over struggling Homeboyz RFC at the RFUEA grounds.
Homeboyz RFC will take on Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology (MMUST) in a fixture set to be staged at the Jamhuri grounds.
Both teams have been struggling this season having posted dismal results in the past seven rounds of fixtures played.
Varsity side Strathmore Leos will play host to third-placed Menengai Oilers at the Madaraka grounds, with the students upbeat after winning the East African University Games that took place from December 17-22 in Uganda.
However, the Louis Kisia-coached side will be facing a side that thrashed a touring Mwamba 53-15 at the Nakuru Showground last weekend to maintain the second-place position with 28 points.
The last fixture of the day features a Varsity clash that pits Kenyatta University Blak Blad and the University of Nairobi Mean Machine at the Kenyatta University grounds.
Meanwhile, the Leagues and Fixtures committee of the Kenya Rugby Union is set to issue a ruling today on an appeal by Strathmore Leos over last weekend’s walkover handed to Blak Blad.
Leos were first scheduled to face Blad on the 17th of December last but asked for a postponement of the fixture as they would be out of the country during that period to participate at the East African University Games that took place from December 17-22 in Uganda.
However, Blak Blad opted out of travelling and decided to prepare for their match against Leos while Leos proceeded to Uganda and won the East African University school games.
The 28th of January 2023 was the official buffer zone for all the rescheduled matches in the Kenya cup and only two matches were slotted in for the weekend with Kabras hosting Homeboyz in Kakamega and Blad set to face Leos.
