The battle for the 2026 Dala 7s title heads into its decisive stage on Sunday after an entertaining opening day at the Jomo Kenyatta International Stadium in Mamboleo, Kisumu, where the Cup quarter-finalists were confirmed following a thrilling round of pool matches.
With places in the semi-finals now on the line, Kenya’s rugby giants will have no room for error as the second leg of the SportPesa National Sevens Circuit reaches the knockout rounds.
Defending circuit leaders KCB Rugby finished top of Pool A after an unbeaten campaign that saw them overpower Impala RFC 36-5, brush aside Zetech Oaks 43-12 before being held to a hard-fought 19-19 draw by MMUST in their final pool fixture.
The Bankers, who lifted the Prinsloo 7s title last weekend, now face Kenya Harlequins in what promises to be a fiercely contested opening Cup quarter-final.
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Quins recovered well after suffering a 17-0 defeat to Menengai Oilers in their opening match, bouncing back with convincing wins over Mombasa Rugby and Blak Blad to sneak into the last eight as Pool B runners-up.
Elsewhere, Kabras Sugar RFC continued to underline their championship credentials with a flawless Pool D campaign. The sugarmen powered past Strathmore Leos 33-10, thrashed Embu RFC 52-0 before sealing top spot with another dominant 33-0 victory over Nakuru RFC. Their reward is a quarter-final date with Daystar Falcons.
Daystar qualified despite mixed fortunes in Pool C. The Falcons narrowly lost 17-15 to hosts Kisumu RFC in their opener before another close defeat against Mwamba RFC. However, a crucial 12-5 victory over Nondescripts RFC secured second place and kept their Cup ambitions alive.
One of Saturday’s standout performers was Menengai Oilers, who topped Pool B after shutting out Kenya Harlequins 17-0, edging Blak Blad 14-5 and completing the sweep with a commanding 26-0 victory over Mombasa Rugby.
They will lock horns with an impressive Zetech Oaks side that finished second in Pool A after victories over MMUST and Impala RFC.
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The final Cup quarter-final pits Pool C winners Mwamba RFC against Strathmore Leos. Mwamba enjoyed an impressive unbeaten run, overcoming Nondescripts RFC 22-0 before seeing off Daystar Falcons 19-14 and Kisumu RFC 26-19 to finish at the summit of the pool.
While the spotlight will be on the Cup competition, teams that missed out on the top two places in their pools will battle for Challenge Trophy honours.
MMUST take on Mombasa Rugby in the opening Challenge Trophy quarter-final before Nakuru RFC meet hosts Kisumu RFC. Blak Blad will face Impala RFC, while Nondescripts RFC square off against Embu RFC to complete the Challenge Trophy last-eight fixtures.
The stakes become even higher later in the day, with the Cup quarter-final winners advancing to the semi-finals before the race culminates in the men’s final at 5:00 pm.
With KCB chasing back-to-back circuit victories, Kabras eager to reclaim top honours, Menengai Oilers carrying unbeaten momentum and Mwamba looking sharp, Sunday promises a day of explosive sevens rugby filled with pace, crunching tackles, breakdown battles and clinical finishing as the hunt for the Dala 7s crown reaches its climax.