Top Fry Nakuru RFC reveal Prinsloo Sevens intentions
Nakuru Rugby Football Club players and their head coach Simon Wariuki (right) react during a training session at the Nakuru Athletics Club on July 5, 2022, ahead of the Prinsloo Sevens national circuit rugby tournament on July 9 and 10.
What you need to know:
- The hosts are in pool 'B' and will face rivals Menengai Oilers, Masinde Muliro and Kisumu in their preliminary matches.
- Nakuru residents will no doubt be hungry to watch sevens action after two years of little rugby thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Host club Nakuru Top Fry have thrown down the gauntlet ahead of the Prinsloo Sevens, the fifth leg of the Kenya rugby Union national circuit, that kicks off at Nakuru Athletics Club on Saturday.
“This is our tournament to lose. We must win it and gift our sponsors Menengai Oil Refineries a perfect mid-year gift for their great sponsorship for the past decade,” said Nakuru club chairman Leshan ole Taruru.
He added: “We have been preparing for this tournament for the past six weeks and we want to bring back the glory by clinching the tournament.”
Nakuru head coach Simon “Akaranga” Wariuki, who is a former player at the club, is exuding confidence of winning the tournament and climbing from position eight in the national sevens ranking after they lost 14-10 to Kabras Sugar in the Challenge finals of the Dallas Sevens in Kisumu last weekend.
This will be Wariuki’s main outing on home soil after taking over the reins in May from former head coach Felix Oloo Otieno, who relocated to Canada.
This will be the first time that the national sevens circuit leg is being staged in Nakuru since it was elevated to city status on December 1, last year and everyone in this Rift Valley town is looking forward to a rugby extravaganza.
The hosts are in pool 'B' and will face rivals Menengai Oilers, Masinde Muliro and Kisumu in their preliminary matches.
Nakuru residents will no doubt be hungry to watch sevens action after two years of little rugby thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Nakuru RFC popularly known as "Wanyore" will be looking to celebrate 10 years of partnership with Menengai Oil Refineries by winning the tournament at their back yard.
Nakuru in fact last won the tournament in 2015 when they beat Homeboyz 7-5.
The tournament is named in honour of South African Pete Walter Prinsloo, who was a player at the club.
The late Prinsloo greatly influenced many young players at the club in the 1980s.
Wariuki, who played as fly half for Nakuru between 2000 and 2014, said they had learnt from the previous leg in Kisumu and were now aiming for Cup glory.
The players have the right mentality and experience. I hope our fans will turn up in large numbers. I have a relatively young side that I'm developing and is capable of causing havoc to the big boys."
Some of the young players in the team are Philip Okeyo, David Mwangi, Sam Mwaura and play maker Habakkuk Ouma.
Nakuru RFC women coach David Oloo said his side are also ready for the tournament.
"I have national team players like Lorraine Akoth, Maureen Njoki, Dorcas Nyambura and Ann Akinyi, and if they are in good shape, we shall be going for glory," said coach Oloo.
Lameck Ongati, the school coordinator, said that since most of the schools are on holiday, teams have formed combined squads for the tournament.
DNation bodytext: The school tournament has attracted teams from Nairobi, Nakuru and Nanyuki and will be divided into three categories- Under-12, Under-18 and Under-14.
Prinsloo 7s Division 1 Draw
Pool A: Homeboyz, Catholic Monks, Kabras, Western Bulls
Pool B: Menengai Oilers, Masinde Muliro, Nakuru, Kisumu
Pool C: KCB, Nondescripts, Impala, Kenya Harlequin
Pool D: Mwamba, Strathmore Leos, Blak Blad, Vihiga Granites
