Chasing history: Blak Blad eyes first Kenya Cup title in club’s 51-year history
Kenyatta University’s Blak Blad player Brian Shile charges past Brian Wahinya of KCB during Kenya Cup Rugby league match played on January 24 at the university grounds.
Kenyatta University’s rugby team, Blak Blad, can now dream of winning the prestigious Kenya Cup.
After reaching the semi-finals of the league last season and finishing third overall — their best performance in the club’s 51-year history — Blak Blad are hungry for more.
They want to reach the final and clinch the coveted trophy, to make history as only the second university team to win the title in the championships’ history.
The University of Nairobi’s Mean Machine won the Kenya Cup three times, in 1977 when they won it in their debut season, and in 1989 and 1990.
The last varsity side to reach the Kenya Cup final was Strathmore University Leos, who lost 37-3 to Nakuru at Kasarani stadium, which hosted the event for the first time in 2013.
“We have been battling for five decades and have come close to winning several titles in the play-offs, but have only just reached the semi-finals,” said Blak Blad coach Rotich Kibet.
“We now believe that we can reach the final and win the title.”
Kibet made these comments yesterday in Nairobi when he received playing and training jerseys worth Sh1 million on behalf of his team from Madison Life Assurance Kenya managing director Githua Ngaruiya.
The coach noted that the sponsorship would smooth their path to the Kenya Cup final in the 2026/27 season.
He said they need close to Sh5 million if they are to achieve their dream of reaching the final and hopefully win it next season.
Blak Blad reached their fourth consecutive play-off last season, winning at this stage for the first time to reach their first ever semi-finals, having rallied from behind to beat Strathmore Leos 27–25 in the play-offs. They had lost to the Leos 32–30 during the regular season. However, it was the champions, Kabras Sugar, who halted Blak Blad’s progress to the final with a score of 48-15.
“Reaching the semi-finals was surreal. It was an ongoing feeling, but it finally sank in after we met Kabras. We might have lost to the giants, but it was special for us,” said Kibet.
He said when he took charge as volunteer coach in 2019 and head coach in 2023, it was his dream to take Blak Blad to the semi-final and final.
“We kept working and setting small goals, from competing to staying in the Kenya Cup, to making it to the playoffs and the semi-finals. We told ourselves that we needed to win the Kenya Cup. It seemed like an impossible dream until we made it to the semi-finals,” he said.
He revealed that his approach of letting players take ownership of the game by identifying their mistakes and making decisions that turned things around worked well.
He pointed out that beating Quins 40–26 and Nondies 23–18 were some of their major highlights from last season, when his players brought their A game.
“Most of the time, they didn’t take instructions from me during the breaks. I allowed them to talk to each other and make decisions,” he said. He said that their target for the 2026/27 season is not to become bigger, but to improve gradually from where they fell short in the semi-finals.
He said just like last season, he will retain his key players while he waits for the first years to arrive on August 25, to see whom he will draft into the team.
Ngaruiya said that Blak Blad is a talented team that needs support, adding that the equipment will help to resolve some of their minor issues.
“We want to address the issue of medical equipment and cover for the team, so that players can focus on the pitch and play without worry,” said Ngaruiya. “Reaching the Kenya Cup semi-finals and finishing third is by no means a great achievement. Note that they only come after the heavily funded Kabras Sugar and KCB,” Ngaruiya noted.
Captain Obat Kuke termed the Madison kit sponsorship historic, saying it was the first time they had an official kit sponsor. “It will take a lot of sacrifice to reach and win the final. Remember, the team is made up of students, so finding time to train during exam season is difficult,” said Kuke, who is confident that he can lead his team to the final next season.
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