Menengai Oilers Secure Top Seed for Dala 7s as Kenya’s Rugby Sevens Circuit Kicks Off

Menengai Oilers, the reigning National Sevens Circuit champions, has been named the top seeds for the upcoming Dala Sevens, which is set to kick off this weekend at the Kenyatta Stadium in Kisumu.

The Kenya Rugby Union released the draws on Tuesday, revealing that Menengai Oilers will be in Pool ‘A’ alongside Nakuru, Nondescripts, and Catholic Monks. Last season’s runners-up, KCB, will lead Pool ‘B’ and will face Harlequins, Masinde Muliro, and Mombasa RFC.

Pool ‘C’ will feature Strathmore Leos, Kabras Sugar, Daystar Falcons, and hosts Kisumu RFC. Dala Sevens champions Homeboyz will headline Pool ‘D’ and compete against Mwamba, Western Bulls, and last season’s Division Two champions, Makueni RFC.

The order of play and the Division Two draw will be announced in a subsequent communication, according to the Kenya Rugby Union’s statement.

Dala Sevens has been a long-standing tournament, with intermittent breaks in 2006-2008 and 2020-2021 due to logistical challenges and the Covid-19 pandemic, respectively.

KCB holds the record for the most titles won in this leg, securing four championships. Mwamba and Homeboyz have each won three titles, while Harlequins and Nakuru have won it twice.

Impala Saracens, Strathmore Leos, and the now-defunct military side Ulinzi have each claimed one title.

Following the Dala Sevens, the circuit will move to Mombasa for the Driftwood Sevens on July 8th and 9th. The third round, the Prinsloo 7’s, is scheduled to take place in Nakuru on August 5th and 6th.

Nairobi will host the fourth leg, the Christie 7’s, on August 12th and 13th, while the penultimate round, Tisap 7’s, will be held in Eldoret on September 2nd and 3rd.

The teams will return to Nairobi for the final round of the circuit, the Kabeberi 7’s, on September 8th and 9th.

Jaycox Mwavali, the secretary of Kisumu RFC, announced that tickets for the Dala Sevens will be priced at Sh1,000 per day for the VIP section, while regular tickets can be purchased for Sh500 per day at www.tikohub.co.ke.

Mwavali expressed excitement for the opening round of the Sevens circuit and urged fans to show their support by attending the event. He also mentioned the club’s plans to play under floodlights in the future, pending approval from the union.