The 27th edition of the region’s top 10-aside tournament, the great rift ten a side will be held over the long Easter weekend. Unlike previous editions though, this year’s will be held at the Nakuru ASK show ground.
Despite the change from its traditional home the NAC, the tournament is not expected to lose out on its fun filled, action packed points. If anything the change in location is expected to bring something even more exciting at the weekend.
Defending champions and hosts Nakuru RFC lead the 30 sides in action at the weekend in the two divisions. The main title will be battled out among 16 sides, with the second division, a 14 team dog fight. Last year at a time like this the great rift represented the only title hope the hosts had after having been knocked out in the Kenya cup semi and Enterprise quarter finals.
Fast forward to this year, we are winding up the Kenya cup regular season, the Wanyore are well within the play off spots, with the Enterprise cup still to come. How times or rather calendars change.
Most will argue that the tournament will not be as competitive as previous years with sides opting to concentrate on the league. I beg to differ, while we expect clubs to give their reserve players a run out. These will be players who have a point to prove, this will be their grand stage to claim a stake in the main team. The next crop of stars will be on display this weekend, it couldn’t get any better.
Pool A
The Top Fry Nakuru RFC are top seeds where they are joined by the Kenya Harlequin, Brumbies and Eldoret. With two teams progressing from each pool this should be a walk in the park for the top two seeds.
Quins were losing cup semi finalists last year and will be coming back to the town where they lost 43-14 in the Kenya cup. They will be hoping for better fortunes when the two square it out in the last round of pool games. Brumbies play in the first division after Western Bulls pulled out of the tourney. Eldoret were losing Shield quarter finalists last season.
Pool B
Last year’s losing finalists, KCB are joined by Impala, the Catholic Monks and Egerton in another straight forward looking pool for the top two seeds.
Impala bowed out of last years tourney at the Plate semi finals, after losing to 26-0 to Strathmore in the cup quarter finals and 10-0 to Homeboyz in the Plate semi. The once invincible Impala at the great rift will be looking to get their mojo back (see what I did there?), as they seem to have done in the Kenya cup.
The Catholic Monks were losing Bowl finalists last year, and will probably pose the biggest threat to the top two here. Egerton played in the Shield last season, and with a university derby on the cards here expect a big match in that one.
The top two here will most likely look to avoid playing the hosts in the quarter finals, assuming the Wanyore finish first in Pool A, they will play the second placed side here. That should serve as motivation enough for when KCB meet Impala.
Pool C
Last year’s third place finishers, Strathmore Leos find themselves in probably the easiest of pools this year. From a potential pool of death that featured Blak Blad, Mwamba and Masaku. The Leos will now face KCA, TUK and JKUAT, thanks to the previous three withdrawing from the tournament.
As much as this might seem like a walk in the park for the Leos, this is an all universities pool and you all know how unis love playing each other.
On paper though, the Leos are top in this pool, what will be interesting is who joins them in the day 2 quarter final draw. JKUAT and TUK played in the Bowl last year. TUK bowing out at the quarter finals, with JKUAT following suit after the semi final round. KCA lost out in the Shield quarter finals to the eventual category winners Mean Machine.
With second spot being a wide open 3 horse race, expect the encounters between KCA, JKUAT and TUK to be real dog fights. These three know about one another quite well having played in the same division in this season’s nationwide. If the Leos were to lose one match here, imagine the possibilities that opens up.
Pool D
The last Pool in the top flight holds the the sponsors derby, with Kabras meeting Homeboyz in the last match of day 1, before that though they will have to play USIU and Mean Machine first.
Kabras finished fourth in last year’s edition and are thus headliners in this pool, they will be coming to a town that they call ‘home’ having not lost to the hosts in the Kenya Cup. They will be hoping that the ASK Show grounds hold the same fortunes as the NAC for them.
The Djs were Plate winners last year, picking themselves up from losing to a sudden death penalty in the cup quarter finals to the hosts and eventual champions Nakuru. This year they will be looking to go all the way here and finally get their hands on a great rift 10-a-side title.
Mean Machine won the Shield title last year, with USIU bowing out at the Bowl semi finals. The contest between this two will be one to watch out for, USIU are primed for a Kenya Cup slot this season, with Machine in the Kenya Cup’s relegation battle. It will be interesting to see who carries the day here, did I mention that this is another uni derby?
The division II title will be battled out between the following :
Pool E : Mumias, UOE, Cooperative, Kabarak.
Pool F : Nakuru Development, Moi University, MMU, MKU.
Pool G : MKU Nairobi, Masinde Muliro, Ngong.
Pool H : Kiambu, Molo, KPA Eldoret.
Action in this division will be played at the Nakuru Day grounds on Friday and Saturday.
It promises to be an action packed rugby weekend at Naxvegas, they don’t come any other way in this town. See you all at the ASK Show grounds or Nakuru Day, wherever you see me first..rest assured that I will be asking for your vote then, hehe.
KWISHA…Nimeruka Nje!!!
