Strathmore Leos make good start in 10 Aside

Kelvin Kioko (Left) of Top Fry Nakuru battle for the ball with Stormy Odhiambo of Black Blad during The top Fry Great Rift 10 Aside at Nakuru Athletics club (NAC ) on April 15,2017 .PHOTO:KIPSANG JOSEPH

Defending champions Strathmore Leos sounded a stern warning and showed their intentions to retain the title for the second year running yesterday.

They won their first two matches convincingly as the 28th edition of the Great Rift 10 Aside Championships kicked-off at Nakuru Athletic Club.

Leos who are in Pool E walloped United States International University (USIU) 19-0 before seeing off Mount Kenya University (MKU) -Thika Campus 31-0 to qualify for the Main Cup quarters knockout competition with a match in hand against University of Nairobi’s Mean Machine.

MKU-Thika Campus made a comeback in their second clash when they beat Mean Machine 24-0.

Former champions and hosts Top Fry Nakuru RFC also made a good start with a 50-0 thrashing of Brumbies in a Pool H match.

Kenya Cup League champions Kabras Sugar beat Egerton 24-0 to take an early lead in Pool F with three points from one match in a group that has Catholic Monks and Mwamba RFC.

Catholic Monks also saw off Mwamba 24-0 to be at par with Kabras Sugar on points’ tally ahead of a titanic clash against the sugarmillers.

Menengai Oilers also qualified for the Main Cup quarters after winning their first two matches in the Pool G. They (Oilers) beat Technical University of Kenya 5-0 before beating Harlequin 14-5 for a maximum six points from two matches.

The Oilers poised for their third and final preliminary match against KCA University later in the day.

“This time we are serious and competing on an equal footing for the same title with other top contenders. We are taking a match at a time” said Oilers Head Coach Gibson Weru in a post-match interview.

Harlequin beat KCA University 39-0 in a one sided Pool G match.

In the Pool I, former champions Kenya Commercial Bank registered a 24-0 win over Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture Technology Cougars.

Meanwhile, Mount Kenya University Nairobi Campus won the Great Rift 10 Aside Division Two Championships after they defeated hosts Nakuru RFC II 10-5 in a pulsating match.

On their way to the title, MKU-Nairobi Campus led 10-0 against Nakuru II side who gave them a run for their money in the second half.

In the Plate finals, Northern Surburbs surrendered a 5-0 half time lead to Multi-Media University who won 7-5 to wrestle the Plate Competition of the Division Two Championships.

In the Bowl Finals of the Division Two Championships, Bungoma RFC beat Kitale RFC 8-5 to win that title. [Ben Ahenda]