Kisii School clinched the Kisii County rugby 7’s after beating archrivals Cardinal Otunga High School 19-5 in a tough final played at Nyakeyo grounds on Thursday.
Kisii School are now the county 7’s and 15’s champions. During the Term One Games, Kisii School also lifted the Nyanza regional 15’s crown.
Both Cardinal Otunga and Kisii School have qualified for the Nyanza region championships to be held at Maranda School in Bondo, Siaya county next month.
In Thursday’s final, Kisii School took the lead through diminutive captain Edwin Omari, who touched down five minutes into the match. His try was converted by Denzel Juma. Cardinal Otunga’s Peter Mong’are scored an unconverted try to trail 5-7 at the break.
In the second half, Brian Kioge scored Kisii School’s second try (unconverted) while Thaddeus Malika added a third pepped up by Juma's extras.
In the semifinals, Kisii School beat Igonga 20-0 while Cardinal Otunga overcame Itierio Boys 22-0. In the playoff, Igonga saw off Itierio 12-7 to finish third.
Kisii School coach Lee Aston said: “We have lifted this title because we have been consistent in training. After the nationals, we turned our focus on the 7’s and the boys have remained focused. Cardinal Otunga have stepped up their game which is good for the growth of the game in Kisii county."
He added: “There are some areas I want to improve on, like in set pieces and general flow of the game, even as we look forward to the regionals. We want to lift the regional title too.”
His Cardinal Otunga counterpart, Felix Kebondori, said: “My players lacked agility and their passing was not good, however, the most important thing is that we are through to the regionals. We still have time to work on weak areas. We want to play in the regional final.”
The former rugby player added: “Cardinal Otunga is a powerhouse so expect more from us.”