The 2026 Kabeberi 7s roared into action on Saturday at the RFUEA Grounds, with Kenya Harlequin, KCB Rugby, Kabras and Menengai Oilers all opening their campaigns with maximum points on a day that mixed statement wins with pure theatre.
Kenya Harlequin produced the performance of the morning, thrashing Kisumu RFC 36-7 in one of the round’s most one-sided results.
Patrick Wainaina set the tone with an early try before Kisumu briefly leveled things at 7-7, only for Wainaina to answer immediately, selling a dummy and racing clear for his second.
Brighton Omondi then took over, crashing in twice to blow the game open and send Quins level with Daystar Falcons at the top of the early standings.
Daystar themselves made a statement of their own, brushing aside Impala RFC 24-0 to open the day with a clean sheet.
Strathmore Leos were similarly ruthless against Catholic Monks, racing to a 26-5 lead built on a slick offload from Gabriel Ayimba and a double from Stanslaus Shikoli down the left wing. Monks hit back with a late flurry of tries, but it was too little, too late, Leos held on for a 33-15 win.
The day’s real drama, though, belonged to the hosts. Mwamba RFC needed a nerve-shredding comeback to see off Nondescripts RFC 22-21, trading the lead twice before edging over the line in front of their own crowd, a result that will do plenty for morale after a quiet start to the circuit season.
All eyes now turn to the evening’s headline fixture: Kabras Sugar RFC against defending champions KCB Rugby, a Pool D collision between the top two sides in the overall National Sevens Circuit standings, with just six points separating them. Whoever blinks first here won’t just lose a Day One pool match, they’ll hand their rival real momentum heading into Sunday’s knockouts.
