Butula Boys' confident of going all the way at national games

Butula Boys’ head coach Shimenga Libondo radiates confidence as his team prepare to defend the Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association national rugby 15's title.

The national championships run from Tuesday to Saturday at the Machakos Boys’ High School, Machakos County.

The Busia-based school clinched their maiden 15’s title last year in a resounding 38-0 victory over All Saints Embu High School at the Eldoret Sports Club.

This historic win not only secured their place in rugby lore but also marked Butula as the fifth Western school to claim the 15's title. Others are Kakamega Boys', Bungoma Boys' Musingu and St Peter's Mumias.

Coach Libondo said they are laser-focused on retaining their crown.

"Our target is clear, retain our title," Libondo said. "It will be one game at a time but the boys are determined to conquer the nationals."

They are in Pool 'A' alongside last year's runners-up, All Saints Embu, St. Patrick’s Iten and Kisii School.

“The regionals are tough. Any team that makes it to the nationals is no doubt a tough opponent,” the tactician stated.

"Playing against All Saints will be a rematch of last year's final," he acknowledged. "While they pose a formidable challenge, our mission remains crystal clear, dominate every match and claim the top spot in our pool."

The journey begins with a showdown against Kisii School on Tuesday, followed by St. Patrick’s before ending the preliminaries against All Saints on Thursday.

The semifinals are set for Friday while the third-place playoff and the final will be Saturday.

To retain the title, Libondo said they must improve ball-handling.

"We must improve our ball-handling," he said. "The regionals exposed vulnerabilities where we had many knock-ons. We cannot afford similar lapses on the national stage."

He hopes to leave a mark too at the East African games after finishing second last year.

“We've honed our skills and gained invaluable experience in the crucible of East African competition," he affirmed.

They lost 18-12 to Uganda’s St. Mary’s Kisubi in the finals held in Rwanda.

Libondo attributed Butula's success to a blend of discipline and dedication.

"What sets us apart is the unwavering discipline these boys have. They epitomise commitment, executing my directives with precision and adhering to our training regimen," he added.

Meanwhile, Lenana Boys' tactician, Nick Abok, will seek redemption after a 17-year hiatus from the nationals. 

They are in Pool 'B' alongside Kitondo School, Marafa Boys' and Mang’u High.

Abok stresses the importance of each game in shaping their journey.

“We have been out for a long time. However, we are under no pressure whatsoever. We will take each game at a time aiming to make the semifinals."

He stressed the importance of winning their first match, saying it will mould their trajectory at the tournament.

They open the competition against Kitondo from Eastern on Tuesday, battle Marafa on Wednesday and end the pool matches against Mang’u on Thursday.

"We need to improve our attack. We did not capitalise on the chances we created at the regional games. Our defence is also weak. We conceded easy tries during the regionals. We are working on bolstering it before the games begin," Abok stated.

He said inter-house competitions were key to their resurgence.

“We started inter-house competitions in 2021, seeking to discover new talent. 60 per cent of my players are a product of that project," he said.

"Hard work and dedication are also key to our success. We have a strict two-hour training session every day.”

“The school is very demanding. They expect exceptional performance in sports and academics. The principal is collaborative in all these aspects and supports the team fully.”

Boys Rugby 15s

POOL A

All Saints Embu

Butula Boys

St. Patrick's Kitale

Kisii School

POOL B

Kitondo School

Marafa Boys'

Lenana School

Mang'u High