Kabras Sugar add Great Rift title to Kenya Cup crown
Rugby
By
Ben Ahenda
| Apr 15, 2024
A week after retaining the Kenya Cup title, Kabras Sugar won the Great Rift 10-Aside title but not after a mighty scare from Strathmore Leos at Nakuru Athletic Club on Saturday evening.
A late try by Humphrey Asiligwa was all the sugar millers required to silence the stubborn Leos who had held on for a 7-7 draw and the teams were on the brink of sharing the title due to darkness.
It was the sugar millers who dominated the match to lead 7-0 at the break through a try by Hillary Salano, which was converted by Erick Cantona.
In the second half, Leos made a formidable comeback to level through Arnold Mwita who touched down before converting to push the match to the wire.
"I could not believe it was a valid final try until the referee had blown the whistle signaling we had won the match. It was incredible!" said Kabras 10-Aside coach Max Adaka.
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He said he had changed his first team to give the second side a chance to showcase their talent having missed to feature in the Kenya Cup finals that pitted them against KCB.
"We had to reward the younger side by allowing them to feature in this final match after they failed to be fielded against KCB last weekend. It was a way to motivate them," he said.
Adaka said that they are out to win more titles before the end of the season as earlier planned.
"We still have unfinished business in the fight for top honours in the local front. We need to sweep the board by winning more titles before we wrap up the year," he said.
The next assignments Kabras Sugar intend to feature in are the Enterprise Cup, the National Sevens Circuit besides the Rugby Super Series.
Kabras Sugar's Rayvon Ambale emerged as the top scorer with six tries at the Great Rift tournament ahead of Victor Mola of Leos who managed five tries but was voted as the Most Promising Player in the one-day tournament.
Ambale was equally voted as the Most Valuable Player.
On their way to the finals, the sugar millers stopped Menengai Oilers 10-0, thanks to two tries by Asiligwa and Ambale.
In the other semifinal match, Leos had seen off Zuri 17-7 with Mola scoring three tries with Arnold Mwita only managing one conversion.
Awards
WINNING TEAM - Kabras Sugar
THE MOST VALUABLE PLAYER - Rayvon Ambale of Kabras Sugar
THE MOST PROMISING PLAYER - Victor Mola of Strathmore Leos
THE TOP SCORER - Rayvon Ambale of Kabras Sugar
THE SECOND TOP SCORER - Victor Mola of Strathmore Leos