Kabras Sugar Rugby head coach Ntabeni Dukisa has questioned the standard of officiating at the Embu 7s after his side narrowly lost 12-10 to KCB Rugby in a tense final at Embu Stadium.
The defeat denied Kabras the chance to add another tournament title to their impressive 2026 campaign and also handed KCB a crucial advantage in the race for the overall Sportpesa National 7s Circuit crown.
The final was closely contested with KCB eventually doing enough to edge out their long-standing rivals by just two points. For Dukisa, however, the result was overshadowed by what he felt were a number of crucial decisions made by the match officials.
Speaking after the final, the Kabras coach expressed his frustration, arguing that officiating has repeatedly gone against his side at important moments during the circuit.
“It is really sad, it is really sad. It is some sort of, I don’t know, but it is killing Kenyan rugby,” Dukisa said.
The South African coach went on to insist that Kabras were not looking for excuses, but called for referees to be held accountable for decisions that can have a major influence on matches.
“Kabras, I know we are not complaining, but we can’t be having every tournament where there is always decisions against us. The referees need to be accountable also.”
“IT’S SAD” — NTABENI DUKISA
Kabras RFC coach Ntabeni Dukisa has criticised the officiating following the Sugarmen’s narrow 12-10 defeat to KCB in the Embu 7s final.
Dukisa expressed his disappointment with the decisions made during the closely contested final, terming the… pic.twitter.com/44umkhUJFW
Dukisa’s frustration comes after another hard-fought encounter between Kabras and KCB, with the two sides having dominated the National 7s Circuit throughout the season.
Kabras had reached the Embu final after an impressive run that saw them overcome Menengai Oilers in the semi-final, booking a meeting with KCB. The final was another chapter in what has developed into one of the most competitive rivalries in Kenyan rugby this season.
KCB had already beaten Kabras twice during the campaign, while Kabras had managed to halt the bankers’ remarkable nine-match unbeaten run against them when the two sides met at the Driftwood 7s.
The Embu final therefore carried additional significance, particularly with the two teams separated by only a handful of points in the overall standings.
Dukisa believes some of the decisions made during the final were pivotal and echoed his concerns from previous encounters.
“They made vital decisions which made us lose the game last time too, and it has happened on many occasions and it is very sad.”
Despite the disappointment, Dukisa was quick to turn his attention towards the task of lifting his players ahead of the final leg of the Sportpesa National 7s Circuit.
The Embu result leaves Kabras trailing KCB in the overall standings, with the bankers extending their advantage to six points with one tournament remaining.
Rather than allowing the defeat to derail their campaign, Dukisa urged his players to regroup and use the disappointment as motivation going into the final hurdle.
“Now I have to pick the boys now, I need to talk to them, but I know we are going to bounce back.”
Kabras’ hopes of winning the Sportpesa National 7s title are therefore still alive, although they face an uphill task heading into the Christie 7s. KCB’s consistency has given them the upper hand, but Kabras have already demonstrated this season that they have the quality to challenge the bankers when it matters most.
For Dukisa and his charges, Christie presents an opportunity to put the disappointment behind them, fight for the points they need and potentially produce one final twist in what has been a fiercely contested National 7s Circuit title race.
With only one leg remaining, the focus will now shift from the controversy surrounding the Embu final to the response from Kabras.
Belvine Omondi is a sports journalist who enjoys telling stories across football, volleyball, hockey, rugby and athletics. A trained journalist by profession, formerly worked for Pepeta and now contributes to the Sportpesa blog covering different aspects of sport.
