The 2012 Review..

How time flies when you are having a good time they say…well this year has literally flown by us, I can remember my first match this year, Machine vs Strathmore (Jan 9th) like it was yesterday. Since then I have typed close to 45,000 words here, spanning 71 posts, I do hope you had as much fun reading this space as I did writing it.

Finally found a use for this photo...took it on the Friday morning

2012 will go down as a great year for Kenya Rugby, my highlight definitely being the Safaricom Safari sevens, not just because of the record crowds witnessed but because it signified the re awakening of the Kenya 7s after what was a forgettable 2011-12 season. Though we did not win it this year, we left Nyayo Stadium that Sunday evening with a lot of hope in our hearts, hope that would later on be richly repaid in the first three (or two) legs of the HSBC 2012/13 season.

The fifteen’s side highlight was keeping project 2015 alive after they finished 3^rd in the CAR Division 1A championships in Tunisia, meaning they will be playing for World cup qualification next year. 2012 was also the year we saw the return of the touring sides, the English counties playing against a combined Kenya Uganda side under the name Elgon Warriors. This was also the year Kenya lost to Uganda..twice, it doesn't happen that often. First in the Elgon Cup for the first time in 6 years, then in Tunisia a few weeks later in the CAR, Victoria Cup failed to take off in 2012 with defending champions Zimbabwe pulling out due to financial constraints. The 15’s side finishes the year in 36^th position, 5^th in Africa behind S.A, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Morocco.

It was a great year for the Ladies teams, they had no problem defending their Elgon Cup title and keeping the region’s bragging rights with their 5^th back to back win. The sevens side failed to qualify for the world cup..just, putting in a great performance going down in the final. They mirrored that performance in the last outing of the year, to the Dubai invitational sevens, also losing at the final.

The U-19 side kept their place in Pool A of the CAR U-19 championship the top tier in Africa after finishing third in 2012. They ended the year with a series of 7's friendlies against SA sides, great exposure for them..

Locally, the Kenya Harlequins kept dominating the scene, managing to defend all the major titles they won in 2011 i.e The Kenya Cup and Eric Shirley, going a step further and putting an end to Mwamba’s reign in the shorter version of the game by winning the NSC. Their closest challengers KCB who finished second in the NSC and third in the Kenya Cup added the Mwamba Cup to their cabinet this year. Nakuru who showed great improvement in 2012 finishing second in the Kenya Cup will have the Chairman’s cup trophy to show for their efforts, they also finish the year with the impressive record of not losing at home in the league in 2012.

2012 will also go down in history as the year that failed to crown a champion in the country’s oldest tournament, the Enterprise cup, as teams ended up playing the last rounds in the board room, the tournament in reality never got past the Semifinal stage. With Nondies, Impala, Quins and KCB the semi finalists.

Nondies ended their long running trophy drought winning the Impala Floodlit, ending a ten year wait for that title. Strathmore also winners in 2012 taking home the Menengai oil Nakuru ten a side, this time without sharing. Blakblad and Egerton the other big winners taking the Nationwide and Universities titles home respectively. On the other side of the scale, it was a year to forget most notably for Impala rugby club, finishing outside the top three for the first time in this century (though only 12 years old), and this campaign looking no better, it is indeed hard times for the gazelles.

2012 saw a lot of firsts, especially in expanding the reach of the game. The most notable being the Masaku sevens, in Machakos town, this one a top contender for tournament of the year outside Safari sevens, I still meet guys that we dundad with in Machakos and we just smile and nod at each other, as if to say "Yeah, it was a gudu one". The other being the recently held Naivasha tens, which was won by blue print by the way. . If their first year is anything to go by, these two tournaments have the potential to be calendar highlights in the very near future. The Homeboyz one night stand had a year to forget, failing to attract the crowds it did in it's first two editions and then there was the prize money issue with winners KCB, let's hope 2013 is better for this great tournament. The diversification also saw the movement that is touch rugby grow, apart from the annual touch tournament hosted by Nondies and the one at Quins. Impala came up with the red touch tournament held every last Friday of the month, the last one this year took place last Friday (21^st Dec.)

Still on expansion of the game, 2012 saw several new teams join the league structure, Comras, Stormers and Masaku to be specific, the three joining the Chairman’s leagues. The year also saw the 2012-13 season adopt a new format, with 4 leagues being played concurrently. The top flight Kenya Cup, the second tier Eric Shirley, the Nationwide and Chairman’s leagues. The last two being divided into two mini leagues each. The leagues are to be played in a one off round robin format culminating in semifinals between the top four and a final to crown the winner this a shift from the ‘league proper’ format. The top tier welcomed two sides, Western Bulls making their debut appearance and Blakblad making a comeback after 10 years, the ESS welcoming Blakblad II and Kakamega RFC.

Africa’s premier franchise tournament the Bamburi super series played its 10^th edition in 2012, no news here as the Rhinos claimed their 5^th title in a row, though there was a notable improvement from the Ugandan sides, this being rewarded by a semifinal in Kampala. The constitution of the franchises is set for review for the 2013 edition.

2012 also had it’s short comings, apart from the Enterprise Cup, the confusion that arose in the final games of the 2011-12 Kenya cup, there was the sevens performance in the first half of the year, but as the saying goes…all’s well that ends well!

If I were to pick one moment that I will remember 2012 by, it would be one of these three..one Sudi's tackle vs Blad in the Kabeberi sevens..I dont have to describe it, if you were there you know what I'm talking about. Two, Oscar Ouma vs Quins in Dala..huwezi tu bomoa kati kati ya Patrice na Willie ni ka ni curtain..and three Collo vs Pedro Martins oh I mean Collo on the Pedro Martin highway...

2013 looks to be a better year, with the partnership with Western Province, the sevens team looking better by the day, will 2013 be the year that we will finally lift a main cup title? I think so. 2013 will also see the election of new office holders, in March..lets hope the guys elected will keep up the good work we have seen in large parts and even improve on the short comings.                                

With the current season at the half way mark, I will go ahead to make a bold prediction in the top flight and say that the top four come February will be as is now, maybe not in the same order but these will be the names occupying the semi slots KCB, Nakuru, Strathmore and Quins.

Finally I had to slip in something about my Holiday here..mtajuaje ilikua kali? I got to play touch rugby (well it did start as that) with the local children in Alego and one thing that struck me is the natural instinct these tois possessed. One particular kid danced through tackles from his pals like he was a seasoned veteran, this sport can only grow y'all...lets do our little bit in 2013 in making it that much better.

The Kid on the left, wacha tu...

My final salamz corner of 2012 goes to all you who have been with me throughout the year.. I can’t thank you enough…roll on 2013!!!  

Finally I end this with a moment of reflection, to all who we lost in the year 2012, Aberdeen Shikoyi, Andrew Okwaro, and most recently Laura Blanche just to mention a few, they will forever be remembered!

With that ladies and gentlemen….*toast to 2013!!!*

Aaaannnnnnnndddddddd………

2012…KWISHA, NIMERUKA 2013!!!!!