Easter at the Rift

All roads led to Nakuru for the finest rugby games. SHEILA KIMANI and GEOFFREY KORIO were there and witnessed some of the most epic Easter parties

If for a moment you thought — or at least hoped — that the Menengai Oil 10-A-Side Rugby Tournament in Nakuru was strictly about sweaty rugby players tackling each other with even more scantily dressed fans cheering on, then showing up for the games would have been an overwhelmingly crazy expedition for you. Fun, booze and romance were also part the entrée and one couldn’t simply overlook their occurrence.

Since it was end month and an Easter weekend, accounts had been topped up and it was time for guys to blow their wallets.

Social media pages were the ultimate pre-link up joints as fans psyched each other up for the road trip and games. As usual, everyone seemed excited about the games.In multitudes, the fans agreed that the road trip to Nakuru was the ultimate plot.

Suddenly, the beautiful and calm Nakuru town was overwhelmed with rugby fans and the cold weather did not dictate the dress code; ladies showed up all sassy in sleeveless tops and booty shorts regardless of the occasional showers that hit the grounds. Talk about freeze and shine!

“Did all the parents give permission to all these kids to come to Naxx,” exclaimed a Pulser as he hustled his way to a jam-packed Nakuru Athletics Club where the games were already underway.

The sheer sporting spirit was palpable with fans of all ages mingling and a small fraction keenly watching their favourite teams play. 

Sexy cheer leaders draped in revealing hot pants thronged the green fields rooting for their teams while die-hard fans bellowed their hearts out. The well-laid out venue offered a variety of entertainment as most fans declared their allegiance to music and booze instead of the love of the game.

Halfway through the preliminaries, the atmosphere suddenly changed with the highly anticipated Supreme Court ruling on the General Election. After a temporary repose, rapturous celebrations hit the venue as fans embraced each other and the tournament continued as per the expectations. For many, the party had officially begun.

Party hard

Fans drowned drinks they had carried and danced to the music from their cars while others thronged the booze stands.

By 6pm, most fans were dancing on their car roofs while others made out in excitement — after all this was NaxVegas; whatever happens there, forever remains there has been the golden rule.

The Homeboyz crew provided an array of entertainment with the emcee hyping up the already ecstatic crowds harder as the fans swiftly left the grounds for the after-parties amidst the heavy downpour.

The street bashes

By 8.30pm, the hottest clubs were already reporting maximum capacity. At Taidys, those who couldn’t handle the jam-packed Rafikiz danced the night away. Back at Rafikiz Lounge, the Freshology Street Bash and the official after party of the rugby went down.

Shaffie Weru — the emcee of the night — hyped the rain-soaked crowd outside while DJ Joe Mfalme was busy setting up the decks. The anxious crowds also got their moment to win prizes and participate in the ‘wicked’ kissing competition.

Elsewhere, at a fully parked Courtyard Club, Africa’s Big Brother Africa star and rapper Prezzo graced the party with DJ Peter Adamz on the decks ensuring the music flowed freely to electrify the crowds. Prezzo thrilled the crowd when he remixed his hit My City My Town to blend in the Nakuru crowd. He also invited a young fan and the young’un share his lyrical prowess under his tutelage. After his performance, a bevy of beauties could not hide their emotions as they tried to get past his security details to have a moment with him.    

Surprising finals

It was still party galore the following day albeit with the gruelling hangovers that some fans were nursing. Everything was in full gear as the finest teams prepped themselves for gruelling finals.  Some felt that the script was well written even before the tournament, but they were in for a rude awakening.

Titleholders Strathmore University crashed out in the quarters while hosts Nakuru RFC who were tipped to be favourites were edged out in the semi-finals. The two were last year’s finalists and as fans who wrongly assumed that ‘history repeats itself’ bitterly swallowed these words. The remaining survivors KCB and Mean Machine RFC gave their all at the finals with the former emerging this year’s winners.