User:Renee Kamau/sandbox/Safaricom 7s Series

SAFARICOM 7S SERIES 

DALA SEVENS

3rd/4th August 2013 ABOUT DALA SEVENS The first leg of the Safaricom Sevens Series, a five leg series of sevens tournaments in four Kenyan towns and cities that sees all the leading Kenyan teams come out to compete for points to determine the national club sevens champions.

Kisumu is the biggest city in the Western Kenya region, a region that has carved its niche as the cradle of Kenyan rugby talent.

"Dala" means home in the Luo language and the Dala Sevens is about rugby returning home. The likes of current Kenya Sevens Captain Andrew Amonde, Lavin Asego, Humphrey Kayange,Collins Injera and Felix Ayange to name but a few nurtured their talent in educational institutions within this region.

The Kisumu Dala Sevens was first hosted in May 2003 with defunct Kenya Army side, Ulinzi RFC winning that event. It ran in the subsequent years before being dropped from the Series in 2007 due to financial constraints on the part of the host club, Kisumu RFC. Thanks to a healthy sponsorship package, it made its big return in 2009, paving the way for four other tourneys that saw the Strathmore Leos reign supreme as the Kenyan sevens champions in a year when the NSC celebrated ten years since its inception in 1999, ten years that saw sevens rugby grow in leaps and bounds with the national side, having claimed the scalps of all the sevens powerhouses over this period of time. Mwamba would win it in 2010 and 2011, before relinquishing it to Kenya Harlequin in 2012.

GEORGE MWANGI KABEBERI MEMORIAL SEVENS

10/11 AUGUST

ABOUT GEORGE MWANGI KABEBERI MEMORIAL SEVENS

This is the second leg of the Safaricom Sevens Series, hosted by Mwamba RFC, Kenya's first club formed by indigenous Africans in 1977.

The George Mwangi Kabeberi Memorial Sevens is held in honour of former Mwamba RFC player George Mwangi Kabeberi who died in 1986.

Mwamba RFC have in recent years established themselves as a sevens powerhouse. Kenya Sevens players including the 2008/2009 IRB Sevens World Series top try scorer Collins Injera, Humphrey Kayange, Lavin Asego, Dennis Ombachi and Horace Otieno feature for the black shirts.

Expect the second leg of the Safaricom Sevens Series, the George Mwangi Kabeberi Memorial Sevens to be an action packed event, reason being the sevens circuit will be at its business end, with the clubs jostling for crucial points that will bring them even closer to the overall title.

The action takes place at Kasarani on Ngong' Road in Nairobi on the weekend of 10/11 August 2013

PRINSLOO SEVENS

24/25 AUGUST ABOUT PRINSLOO SEVENS

This tournament, the third leg of the Safaricom Sevens Series is named in honour of Pete Walter Prinsloo,a rugby enthusiast of South African origin from Nakuru who revamped the game in Nakuru in the 80s. He died from diabetes complications but not before losing two limbs and facing several other complications. He had to go around in a wheelchair but this did not stop his enthusiasm and love for the game. This year's event is the seventh edition in honour of his efforts and following a very successful premier in October 2007, there should be a lot of fireworks as the Safaricom Sevens Series engages into third gear at the Prinsloo Sevens.

The Nakuru and great rift valley region has over the years produced brilliant players. Allan Omuyaku, Pascal Wetukha, Ben Otieno,Jotham Owili, Cyprian Shimenga,Edwin Shimenga and Enos Otieno and Oscar Ouma, now a key cog of the Mike Friday coached Kenya Sevens team. These are just some of the players who have been blooded through the Nakuru RFC system, breaking out to become key players in subsequent years..

DRIFTWOOD SEVENS

31 AUG/1 SEP

ABOUT THE DRIFTWOOD SEVENS This is the penultimate round of the Safaricom Sevens Series hosted in the port city of Mombasa, Driftwood Sevens is the defining point of the 2013 Kenyan sevens rugby season.Pundits and fans alike will be treated to competitive sevens rugby action as the Series winds down, and teams use all their resources in the bid to secure points that will draw them closer to the title.

The Driftwood trophy, a piece of natural wood , exquisitely carved by the eternal forces of the oceans ,has indeed found a permanent home in Mombasa and will continue give a sense of history , direction and purpose to the rugby loving people of the coast.

Previous Winners

1990 - Kenya Harlequin FC

1991 - Barclays RFC

1992 - Barclays RFC

1993 - Mean Machine RFC

1994 - Kenya Harlequin FC

1995 - Kenya Harlequin FC

1996 - Kenya Harlequin FC

1997 - Mean Machine RFC

1998 - USIU RFC

1999 - Impala RFC

2000 - Kenya Harlequin FC

2001 - Impala RFC

2002 - Ulinzi RFC

2003 - Kenya Harlequin FC

2004 - Kenya Harlequin FC

2005 - Kenya Harlequin FC

2006 - Kenya Harlequin FC

2007 - Mwamba RFC

2008 - Mwamba RFC

2009 - Strathmore Leos

2010- Kenya Harlequin FC

2011- Mwamba RFC

2012- KCB RFC

CHRISTIE SEVENS SEPT 7/8

CHRISTIE SEVENS

This is the final round of the Safaricom Sevens Series, at the, RFUEA Grounds, home venue of Kenya Harlequin FC.

The Christie Sevens is a fitting farewell to the 2013 Kenyan sevens rugby season. What better way to end the season by crowning a new (or old) National Sevens champion after five gruelling legs in four towns and cities across Kenya?.

This tourney has grown over the years from a one day event to become a pivotal part of the NSC as results from the Christies have either dramatically altered or determined the course of the NSC.

Players such as Benja Ayimba, Felix Ochieng, Sammy Khakame, Oscar Osir,Allan Hicks, Mitch Ocholla, Jeff Tolo, Gordon Anampiu, Sidney "Blackrose" Obonyo,Kennedy Aswani, Steve Gichuki and Paul "Pablo" Murunga, all retired members of the Kenya Rugby Sevens team have honed their skills at this tournament.

Present day Kenya players Dennis Ombachi, Oscar Ouma,Biko Adema, Philip Wamae,Fabian Olando, Felix Ayange, to name but a few have also taken part in previous Christies, making an impression that earned them selection to the Kenya Sevens.

SAFARICOM 7s

The Safaricom Sevens is a tournament run by the Kenya Rugby Union. The competition is promoted as being Africa's premier rugby sevens tournament drawing crowds of over 20,000 to the weekend event. It is unique in that it is contested by numerous national representative sides from Africa and beyond, by professional sevens outfits, professional and amateur club sides, invitational teams, universities and schools. After 15 years at the RFUEA Ground and growing attendances annually, the tournament was taken to the Nyayo National Stadium for the first time. The rationale for the move was to allow room for more spectators as the RFUEA Grounds had in previous years been packed to the rafters. History of the Safari Sevens A small tournament started by a group of rugby enthusiasts has blossomed into Africa's premier 7-a-side rugby tournament.

A few years ago, we used to look forward to the Kenya tour of leading UK rugby clubs. During the 80's these teams included Pontypool, Swansea, Richmond, Dungannon and of course Public School Wanderers. They would tend to play an opener against local invitation team Scorpions followed by a couple of games against club opposition and finally a Kenya. And then along came professionalism in the early 90's and foreign tours to Kenya dried up. Frustrated by Kenya's lack of international rugby exposure, a group of EGORs (elderly gentlemen of rugby), while on tour, came up with the idea of bringing top rugby talent to Kenya as part of a sevens tournament. At the same time, the KRFU recognized the impact sevens rugby might have on the Kenya rugby fraternity. The Safari Sevens was born

Winners:

1996- Public School Wanderers (England)

1997 Kenya

1998 Bristol University Select (England)

1999 Public School Wanderers(England)

2000 Shujaa*

2001 British Army

2002 British Army

2003 Kenya

2004 Kenya

2005 Samoa

2006 Emerging Boks

2007 Emerging Boks

2008 Kenya

2009 Kenya

2010 Kenya

2011 Samoa

2012 Emerging Boks ...