Kiambaa Ladies with KRU chairperson Harriet Okach at the Prinsloo Sevens in Nakuru/ HANDOUT
Kiambaa Ladies RFC coach Allan Okiya believes the future is bright for his youthful side after they exceeded expectations with a remarkable run to the final of the Prinsloo Sevens tournament last weekend.
The largely inexperienced team, made up predominantly of students from national secondary school champions Kinale Girls, stunned several established clubs on their way to the final, where they lost 19-0 to champions Mwamba Ladies.
Despite the defeat, Kiambaa won widespread praise for their fearless, attacking brand of rugby throughout the two-day tournament.
Kiambaa opened their campaign with a commanding 36-0 victory over Northern Suburbs before suffering a narrow 10-0 defeat to Kenya Harlequin Queens.
They bounced back in style with a 20-0 win over Pioneer Rugby to secure a place in the semi-finals. In the last four, they produced one of the biggest upsets of the tournament, defeating Quins 21-17 to book a historic place in the final.
Okiya said the team’s success was built on discipline, confidence and sticking to their game plan. “When we came to the tournament, there was no pressure on the girls. The pressure was on the established teams to perform, so we played at our own tempo and stuck to our structure, and it paid off,” said Okiya.
He praised the players for adapting quickly to the demands of sevens rugby. “This is my third year with these girls, most of whom are in Form Three. We tried to play in the series last year but were unsuccessful. We never lost hope, and now we have made our mark in the tournament,” he said.
Okiya believes the team’s impressive display is only the beginning and called on the Kenya Rugby Union to invest more in age-grade and school rugby.
“The girls have worked very hard, and I urge the union to invest more in age-grade and high school rugby. There is a lot of talent coming through. These girls have mastered the basic skills of catching and passing, run excellent support lines and are disciplined in both attack and defence,” he said.
He added that many of the players have ambitions of representing the Kenya Lionesses in both the sevens and 15-a-side formats in the future.
It remains unclear whether Kiambaa Ladies will feature at this weekend’s Dala Sevens in Kisumu, with most of the players also preparing for the Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association (KSSSA) Term Two national games, which begin on August 2 in Thika.
Mwamba Ladies coach Joseph Babu praised Kiambaa’s spirited performance after the final. “Credit to the girls—they pushed us hard in the final. They are a young, vibrant side and will be a handful for many teams in the near future,” said Babu.
