Rugby 15s action between St Mary's Yala and Upper Hill School/ANGWENYI GICHANASt Mary’s School Yala claimed their first-ever Federation of East Africa Schools Sports Association (FEASSA) rugby 15s title after edging out bitter rivals Upper Hill School 13-10 in a tense, hard-fought decider at the Sokoine University of Agriculture in Morogoro, Tanzania.
Coached by George Kerima and Shellan Nyawira, the "Mighty Colts" completed an unbeaten campaign in the seven-team round-robin tournament, finishing with five wins and one draw to secure top spot with 24 points.
Upper Hill, the reigning Kenyan national champions, were forced to settle for bronze, finishing just a single point behind.
Yala drew first blood through a Henry Oduor penalty, with Timothy Wesonga adding the extra points. Upper Hill responded swiftly as Arnold Bushuru crossed the line for a try, converted by Benjamin Echeru, to tie the game.
Wesonga then slotted a penalty to give Yala a 10-7 lead at the break. Early in the second half, Upper Hill levelled matters at 10-10 through an Echeru penalty, but Wesonga answered once more, kicking what proved to be the winning penalty. Yala’s defence held resolute under relentless late pressure to seal the championship.
The victory capped a remarkable turnaround for the Nyanza region champions, who had arrived in Tanzania as national bronze medalists.
After dominant wins over Tanzania’s Elerai (50-5) and Uganda’s Namilyango College (50-0), alongside an 11-11 draw against Jinja Secondary, Yala hit their stride.
They went on to defeat national runners-up Kisii School (23-5) and Uganda's St Mary’s Kisubi (38-15) before their final triumph over Upper Hill.
Reflecting on the triumph, Coach Kerima noted that their early draw against Jinja served as a vital wake-up call, prompting tactical adjustments that fuelled the rest of their unbeaten run.
He lauded key performers Shamir Kadenge, Timothy Wesonga, Henry Odiwuor, Edmond Mandela, and Trevor Onyango for their leadership, adding that staying injury-free in Morogoro was key after fitness issues had derailed their national title bid.
Upper Hill coach Eustace Sifuna conceded that poor decision-making at crucial moments ultimately cost his team the match.
