The 2019 Kenya Rugby Women’s League 10-a-side festival kicks off a series of activities for women’s rugby in the African hotbed of rugby.
The festival will be played over five rounds, commencing with the opening round on Sunday February 3, at the Kenyatta University. Nakuru Athletic Club will host the final round, as they will be hosting the 30th edition of the ‘Great Rift 10-a-side tournament’.
In 2018 teams like Impala Saracens, Nakuru, Homeboyz, Mwamba, Comras, Northern Suburbs, BladBabes and Shamas all took part. Impala Saracens emerged overall winners of the 2018 10-a-side festival.
The Impala side also known as ‘Sarries’ always proves to be the show stopper as they seeded top position in 3 rounds as their rivals Homeboyz are always the ones to watch. Full of surprises but not enough finishing power.
As they say, charity begins at home. That is the tune of Nakuru RFC or as they are popular majority calls them ‘Wanyoress’ not only favorites. Also the only team that hosts Tournaments for U12, U14, U16 and U18.
Teams will contest for the championship played two weeks apart at different venues until the end of March, 2019. In the final standings in 2018, Impala finished beat the host Nakuru.
Suburbs would finish the Nakuru round in third place after a 12-0 win over Mwamba while early pacesetters Menengai Cream Homeboyz took fifth place with a 5-0 win over Shamas. Comras finished seventh in Nakuru after beating BladBabes 7-0
Nicholas Aballa, the Kenya Rugby Union Age Grade and Women’s Rugby Coordinator said,
”We have constantly been working towards encouraging women to take up rugby and participate in the game as players, coaches and administrators”.
“The response has been good, we celebrate our milestones but have it in mind that we are not yet where we would like to be and we are still working within the different regions in the country to spread the gospel of women’s rugby.”
“This year we might have more teams joining the league. More information will be communicated in due time,” Nicholas Aballa said.
Kenya Rugby Women’s League 2019 Dates
February 3 – Kenyatta University (Home to BladBabes RFC)
Feb 17 – KCB Ruaraka (Home to Northern Suburbs RFC)
March 3 – RFUEA (Union Grounds)
March 17 – Impala Grounds (Home to Impala Saracens RFC)
March 31 – Nakuru Athletics Club (Home to Nakuru RFC)
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This is the first article for Last Word on Rugby’s new writer Mcee Azutopshutter. He will add a new voice, and report on rugby from the African continent and other related features on the Global Game.
“Main photo credit – courtesy of Kenya Rugby”
