There were victories for Kabras Sugar and KCB as pre-season tournaments came to close in Kakamega and Nairobi.
Kabras Sugar won the inaugural Victoria 15s with a 17-13 victory over Masinde Muliro in a close contest at the Kakamega Showground on Saturday 12 November.
The Kenya Cup champions took a 17-8 lead into the interval after rallying from a 0-5 deficit. Nelson Babu had given Masinde Muliro the lead with an unconverted try before Dave Williams responded with an unconverted try to tie the score at 5-5.
Jeanson Musoga then gave Kabras the lead with another unconverted effort before Ntabeni Dukisa converted Alfred Orege’s try for a 17-5 score. Eric Cantona drilled home a drop goal for Masinde Muliro as the half drew to a close.
Lameck Ambetsa landed a late second half try for Masinde Muliro, but this was not enough, Kabras claiming the pre-season honors in Western Kenya.
Nairobi’s Impala Club was the venue for the final of the Impala Floodlit tournament that was making a return after a two year break due to the COVID19 pandemic.
Defending champions KCB and Nondescripts faced off in the final, slightly over nine years since they clashed in the 2013 final that ended 28-3 in the bankers’ favor.
It was an equally close contest under the Impala lights, Isaac Njoroge’s penalty separating the two sides at the break as KCB led 3-0.
Ben Salem restored parity with a penalty for Nondies before KCB pulled away, first from Njoroge’s penalty that brought the score to 6-3 before Curtis Lilako and Andrew Amonde went over the whitewash with Levy Amunga converting both for the 20-3 full time score.
The result saw KCB join Mean Machine as the most successful team in the tournament’s history on 9 titles. They also matched Machine’s feat of four consecutive titles. Machine won four straight titles between 1993 and 1996 while the bankers have taken it back to back in 2017,2018, 2019 and 2021.
Menengai Oilers finished third with a 23-12 win over Blak Blad as Nakuru Universities Combined defeated USIU Martials 45-22 in the varsity final.
Impala won the women’s final with a 29 -17 victory over Northern Suburbs.
Most Successful Floodies Teams
Mean Machine 9 titles ( 1984,1991, 1993, 1994, 1995,1996, 2004,2006,2011)
KCB 9 titles ( 2005,2007,2013,2014,2015,2017,2018,2019,2022)
Impala 7 titles (1999,2000,2001,2003,2009, 2010, 2016)
Barclays 4 titles (1985,1987,1989,1992)
Mwamba 3 titles (1986,1988,2008)
Kenya Harlequin 3 titles (1990,1997,1998)
Nondescripts 3 titles (1983,2002,2012)
Strathmore Leos 1 title (2011)