KCB close in on National Sevens Circuit title after edging Kabras Sugar in Embu final

KCB moved to the brink of a National Sevens Circuit title defence after defeating Kabras Sugar 12-10 in the Embu 7s final on Sunday, extending their lead at the top of the Kenyan standings to six points with only the Christie 7s in Nairobi left to play.

Tries from Vincent Onyala and Emmanuel Opondo, with a conversion proving the decisive margin, gave KCB a tense victory over their closest rivals. The result was swift revenge for the table leaders, who had lost to Kabras at the Driftwood 7s in Mombasa just weeks earlier — a defeat that had briefly handed Kabras the top spot.

The win was made more notable by the absence of several of KCB’s key players, who have departed to compete at the Ultimate Sevens tournament in Cardiff this weekend. “I believe the team is in a better place,” said Samuel Asati after the victory. “It’s an honour for the team, and I believe we have depth to finish the business. The boys we’re leaving back, they did the job well. The team is much capable of winning the Christie 7s, and winning overall.”

Head coach Andrew Amonde credited a tactical adjustment for turning the tide against Kabras. “I think we knew that we fell short in Mombasa,” he said. “The physical part of it was missing so, it was something we’d already discussed and we knew Kabras’ strength. If we were able to match them physically, we were able to get our chances and we were able to execute when it matters.”

KCB have now won three of the five completed legs in the 2026 National Sevens Circuit. They need only a third-place finish or better at the Christie 7s to clinch the overall title, while Kabras must win the tournament outright and ensure KCB finish no higher than third to close the gap and keep the championship alive.

The Christie 7s, held at the RFUEA Grounds in Nairobi, is the oldest official rugby sevens tournament in Kenya, with its inaugural edition dating back to 1964. The two sides are drawn in separate pools — KCB in Pool A alongside Kenya Harlequins, MMUST Rugby, and Club Afrique, while Kabras Sugar headline Pool B with KU Blak Blad, NYS Spades, and Mean Machine — setting up a potential quarterfinal meeting that could effectively decide the season.

Beyond this weekend, attention will shift to the Safari Sevens in mid-October, the final sevens event in Kenya in 2026, with the national side using it as preparation for their second campaign in SVNS 2 in 2027.