The 2012-13 season Kick Off!!

It is finally here ladies and gents…the 2012-13 season, and from the looks of it, it’s going to be 13 weeks of nail biting, edge of the seat seating top notch 15's rugby. 12 teams facing each other on a one off basis with the top four moving into the semi-finals which will eventually culminate into the crowning of the Kenya cup champion 2012-13.

Running concurrently with the Kenya cup are the Eric Shirley Shield also with 12 sides, the Nationwide leagues namely Eastern and western each featuring 9 sides. We’ll also have the Chairman’s league which is divided into the Coast edition (8 sides) and the Universities edition (9 sides). I know it’s a handful but you’ll get used to it..

The E.S.S structure mirrors that of the Kenya cup with the 12 sides facing each other in a round robin, with the top four after this leg moving on to the semi-final and final. The Nationwide and Chairman’s leagues have slightly different format with each league containing two mini leagues (pools), the teams in each mini league will face each other with the top four sides form each pool meeting in the quarter finals moving into the semis and finals.

Below are the pools for the Nationwide and Chairman’s leagues:

Nationwide League West :

      1.       Eldoret RFC

      2.       Masinde Muliro

      3.       Moi University

      4.       Bungoma RFC 

      5.       Maseno University

      6.       Kakamega II

      7.       Webuye RFC

      8.       Kisii RFC

      9.       Siaya RFC

Nationwide League East:

     1.       Mombasa Sports Club

     2.       U.S.I.U

     3.       K.C.A

     4.       Kenya Polytechnic

     5.       Oryx

     6.       JKUAT

     7.       Multimedia University

     8.       Egerton University

     9.       Kabarak University

Chairman’s League Coast:

     1.       Spartans RFC

     2.       Mombasa Polytechnic

     3.       Pwani University

     4.       Shepherds RFC

     5.       JKUAT Voi

     6.       Masaku RFC

     7.       Methodist University Nairobi

     8.       Mombasa Sports Club II

Chairman’s League Universities:

    1.       Kimathi University

    2.       Catholic University

    3.       Thika RFC

    4.       Methodist University Main

    5.       Daystar University

    6.       African Nazarene University

    7.       Mt. Kenya University

    8.       Comras RFC

    9.       Stormers RFC

 Good to see the Stormers and Masaku finally joining the leagues, shows how fast this sport is growing, teams like Methodist with two squads (though based on campuses) is quite impressive. Last season’s Universities champions Egerton move into the Nationwide though only in name, most of the sides in the East edition were in the Universities league. Catholic University last season’s university league semi-finalists will feel hard done by the pooling as they might have hoped to move to the Nationwide. I think their inclusion or lack thereof was basically down to geographical location more than anything else…Rongai si Kenya..hehe!! (P.S This is a joke!)

The opening fixtures from the above leagues are as follows:

(All games kick off at 3 pm, unless otherwise stated)

NATIONWIDE WEST
Masinde Muliro v Siaya, (Masinde Muliro Grounds, Kakamega)
Moi University v Kisii, (Moi University Main Campus, Eldoret)
Bungoma v Webuye (Bungoma High School, Bungoma)
Maseno v Kakamega II (Maseno University Grounds, Maseno)

NATIONWIDE EAST
USIU v Kabarak (USIU, Thika Road)
KCA v Egerton (KCA Main Campus, Thika Road)
Kenya Poly v Multimedia (Kenyatta University, Thika Road)
Oryx v JKUAT, (1.00pm, UoN Grounds, Nairobi)


CHAIRMAN'S LEAGUE COAST
Spartans v Mombasa II (4.00pm, Bamburi Welfare Grounds, Mombasa)
Mombasa Poly v KEMU Nairobi (3.00pm, Bamburi Welfare Grounds, Mombasa)
Pwani University v Masaku RFC (3.00pm, Mombasa Sports Club, Mombasa)
Shepherds v JKUAT Voi, (4.00pm, Mombasa Sports Club, Mombasa)

CHAIRMAN'S LEAGUE UNIVERSITIES
Catholic v Stormers (Catholic University Karen, Nairobi)
Thika RFC v (Comras, Thika High School, Thika)
KEMU v Mount Kenya University (Meru School, Meru)
Daystar v Nazarene (Daystar, Athi River)
 

The ESS sees the entry of Blakblad II and Kakamega RFC owing to the promotion of their senior teams. Blad II played in the universities league and were semi-finalists losing out to Multimedia University, this however is a major step up for the junior blad, will they weather the storm? 

Kakamega took part in the Nation wide league last season though finishing outside the Quarter final slots, they will be looking to improve on last season's performance and make an impact on the ESS stage. Defending champions Quins II will be looking for their second title in a row with key challengers being the cubs of KCB and Mwamba II based on last season's performances. 

The opening fixtures will be as follows:

ERIC SHIRLEY SHIELD
(All games kick off at 2pm)
Quins II v Kakamega RFC (RFUEA Grounds, Nairobi)
Nakuru II v Blak Blad II (Nakuru Athletic Club, Nakuru)
Machine II v Strathmore II (UoN Grounds, Nairobi)
Mwamba II v Homeboyz II (Jamhuri Park, Nairobi)
Impala II v Nondies II (Impala Club, Nairobi)

To the big boys, I don’t think this one needs introductions so let’s just get to it. There will be 5 fixtures on the cards as follows:

Mwamba v Homeboyz (4pm, Jamuhuri Park)

Impala v Nondies (4pm, Impala)

Nakuru v Blakblad (4pm, N.A.C )

Quins v Western Bulls (4pm, RFUEA)

Strathmore v Machine (4pm, UoN Grounds)

The sixth fixture was to be between KCB and Kisumu but was postponed to the 15^th of Dec in Honour of the late Andrew Okwaro who will be laid to rest tomorrow (Nov 3rd). 

We start off at the Jamuhuri grounds where two sides that have had a silent pre-season face off. Mwamba who have not been seen in action since the Driftwood sevens will be looking to make a comeback of sorts. Homeboyz on the other hand did not feature under the floodlights and apart from a mid-week friendly against Impala they also have had a quiet pre-season. Kulabu, 5^th place finishers last season will look to make a similar start to last season where they stormed to the top of the league and stayed there for around five weeks. This time round though, they will hope that their stay at the top will be long enough to end their 28 year wait for Kenya cup glory. Homeboyz starting their second season at the top flight will already know what to expect and thus will be adequately prepared, the djs will fancy their chances in this one especially as word from the Kulabu camp has it that most of their dependable players are out for various reasons. The last time these two met, earlier this year, in February to be exact, Mwamba were run away 41-9 winners.

Next up, at the Impala grounds the Total Nondies will be back to the ground where they won the floodies a couple of weeks ago. The most successful side in Kenya cup history will be looking to bring back the glory days and will bank on recent form and the momentum gained to see them past the red shirts of Impala. The hosts who coincidentally are the second most successful side in Kenya cup history will be looking to start this campaign on a high as they try to exorcise the ghosts of their worst season in recent times. Impala’s woes can be traced back to the reverse fixture from last season where they lost to Nondies 38-0, they were never able to wake up from that beating. With key players away in Singapore, Impala’s task will be that much harder against a Nondies side that is high on confidence.

The fixtures guy must have a bone to pick with Blakblad..hehe as it doesn’t get any harder than this for a first fixture, the Blad face the Menengai Oil Nakuru RFC at the Nakuru Athletic club. The Wanyore kept a 100% record at this ground last season and will be looking to carry this form onto this season. Last season’s runners up will be out to welcome the Blad to the big league in style like they did at the floodies with that 34-9 win. Under the tutelage of Michael ‘Tank’ Otieno, you bet Blakblad have worked on the mistakes from that fixture and will be up for this one. They will be looking to replicate their performance from the first fixture of their last season in the top flight where they beat the much fancied KCB 30-26, a game one Mike Kwambo has recorded play for play in his Medula Oblangata.

If Blad think they were hard done, they have to look at fellow new boys the Western Bulls and think..well it could have been worse. The Echulusi, last season’s ESS runners up will get their welcome at the hands of defending champions the Lunch bar Quins at the RFUEA grounds. The last time the Bulls were at the RFUEA it was to face the second string Quins side for the ESS decider, that one ending in Quins II favour. You can imagine how the odds are stacked against the bulls now that they’ll be up against the big boys of Quins. That being said I don’t think the bulls will have this in mind when they make the trip to the capital, they will look to last season’s week 3 fixtures where Homeboyz then making their Kenya cup debut beat all odds to see of this Quins side 12-0. 

Last season, Quins had a slow start to the season losing 2 and drawing 1 of their opening 4 fixtures though they did pick themselves up later in the season they will know that this time round there will be no time for such starts.  The quartered shirts will have to have a strong start if they are to claim their 4^th title in a row.

To the big one of the pile, the universities derby, though now with the addition of Blakblad we will have 2 more editions of this derby. This one though is the Uni. derby of recent times, Mean machine taking on Strathmore. Strathmore had their most successful Kenya cup season the last time out finishing 4^th, now with the return of Mitch Ocholla they will be looking to better that finish. The last time these two met at the floodies Machine were 29-6 winners, before this one Machine won the corresponding fixture last season 8-5 in January this year, thus the Leos will be out to turn the tables on their rivals. Machine coming off another impressive Floodies campaign will be looking to repeat that 29-6 performance as they seek to start the season on a high on their way to better that 9^th place finish from last season.

It will also be the weekend of debuts for most players who have switched clubs over the closed season. Nato Simiyu and Felix Ayange for Quins though we have seen them already, Edwin Salamba and Hastings Nyariki for KCB, Peter Ocholla and Malik Ndemi for Strathmore, Collins Kimani and Cedric Odera for Nondies. Lawi Buyachi who made his way back to Nakuru alongside Kelvin Omiyo will also make their ‘debuts.’

Meanwhile across the borders, in Singapore Impala have been drawn in Pool C alongside Rugby Eccose of Scotland, Sunny Bank of Australia and SG/HK of Hong Kong, they play Rugby Eccose later today then play against Sunny Bank and SG/HK tomorrow. The Quarters, Semis and Finals will be played on Sunday. 

With that Ladies and Gents, let’s brace ourselves for the season ahead. Keep it here throughout the season for news, views, highlights and insights as we enjoy the spectacle that is Kenyan Rugby…

KWISHA…Nimeruka Nje!!!!!