St Joseph's keen to reclaim national Sevens trophy

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Former national and East Africa rugby 7s champions St Joseph’s Girls Senior School Kitale are on a mission to reclaim their trophy at this year's National Term Two games.

Scarred by their Rift Valley campaign that saw them surrender the regional crown to rivals Itigo Girls, they have vowed to bounce back to secure the big one. Having won the inaugural trophy in 2024 after its full inclusion to the schools’ calendar and crowned it all with the East Africa gong, they were dethroned by Kinale Girls last year, and now they want it back.

St Joseph’s, or JOGA as they are known within the schools and sports circles, will leave nothing to chance when they face off with 15 other sides in the hunt for the national trophy at the Mpesa Foundation Academy, Thika.

Team coach Daniel Kipkorir said they have worked on areas that troubled them at the regional finals and are now ready for the national challenge.

“We lost in the regional final, but we will bounce back strongly because we want to recapture the national trophy,” Kipkorir said.

He added that the games have served all the learning expectations in both winning and losing.

“We consider every match we play as an opportunity to learn, and I must admit that we have learnt in every game situation. We have learnt lessons more so in defeat that are gradually transforming my girls into strong contenders. Just like every other team in the competition, we will fight to the end, and hopefully we will lift the trophy when it is all done.”

JOGA will be up against familiar foes Kinale from Central who will not just be looking to retain the title, but also impress home crowds that will be expecting nothing less than perfection from them.

Regulars St Theresa’s Kithimu from Eastern, Mbagathi Girls and Karen C from Nairobi, Moi Forces and Paul Harris from Coast will also be in the mix. Itigo, Kimobo and Mbakalo Girls from Western, Muvuti from Eastern, Nyanza’s Sigoti and Nyagichenche as well as the Central trio of Karima, Gituamba and Gatondo are also in the race for the national trophy.