MMUST eyes KUSF women’s rugby 7s title defence

Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology (MMUST) heads into the Kenya University Sports Federation (KUSF) national play-offs this week, aiming to defend its women’s rugby 7s crown.

The championship runs from Thursday to Saturday at Kabarak University in Nakuru County, featuring university teams that qualified through regional conferences across Kenya.

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The play-offs will include 15 indoor sports, such as badminton, table tennis, darts, scrabble, taekwondo, karate, and chess, alongside five outdoor disciplines, including woodball, baseball, rugby 7s, rollball, and 3x3 basketball.

MMUST’s Games Tutor, Geoffrey Barasa, expressed confidence in the women’s rugby 7s team, which clinched last year’s title with a 15–0 win over Karatina University.

He pointed to a rigorous preparation schedule, including friendly matches and participation in the BingwaFest, where the squad reached the semifinals.

“We are taking a formidable team for the championships after winning the Western Conference title. To defend the title, we engaged in various friendly matches to test the players’ preparedness, and they are ready,” said Barasa.

Barasa also highlighted the university’s strong showing in Scrabble, having claimed the East Africa University Games title, signalling that MMUST will be a contender across multiple disciplines.

“We won the East Africa title in Scrabble, so we have every reason to target the national title too,” he added.

Despite MMUST’s credentials, debutants Kisii University are eager to make an impression. Captain Charlotte Kibilo expressed determination ahead of the championships.

“We have prepared well for the championship and are ready to face any team. We are inexperienced, but we are not afraid of any team,” she said.

KUSF Secretary General Joan Adalo praised the level of participation and quality expected at the play-offs.

“We have received 90 per cent of all qualified teams registering for the competition. Rift Valley, as the host conference, has assured us of good competition and they are ready,” she said.

Rugby 7s continues to be among the most popular disciplines, with 16 men’s and 16 women’s teams registered, outpacing other sports that have fewer than 15 entrants.

With a packed schedule, MMUST’s defending champions will need to balance skill, strategy, and stamina to retain their crown, while newcomers like Kisii University aim to upset the established order.

As the three-day championship kicks off, all eyes will be on the defending MMUST women’s rugby 7s squad, whose performance could set the tone for a week of competitive action across Kenya’s university sports landscape.