The battle for the three remaining KRU Championship quarter-final slots will go down to the wire.
Already, Strathmore Leos and Masinde Murilo University of Science and Technology (MMUST) have sealed home semifinals while three-time Kenya Cup champions Mean Machine have sealed a home quarter-final.
Fourth-placed, United States International University’s Martials, fifth-placed Northern Suburbs and Egerton Wasps are in contention for the remaining playoff slots.
Seventh-placed South Coast Pirates, coached by Howard Okwemba, also have a chance of playing in the quarter-finals. The teams need to win their last game next weekend to seal quarter-final slots.
Leos extended their unbeaten run to 15 games after thrashing playoff-chasing Mombasa RFC 79-12 while MMUST edged relegated Kisii RFC 38-5 in Kakamega. Mean Machine defeated Catholic Monks 29-3 to confirm their home quarter-final berth.
USIU, coached by Tom Lagat, is also in the race for a home quarter-final after beating University of Eldoret’s Trojans 40-22. The defeat ended Trojan’s playoff hopes. Debutants Northern Suburbs remained in the play-off mix after edging South Coast Pirates 41-22 at the Catholic University of East Africa.
Former Enterprise Cup champions Mombasa dropped into the relegation zone after the loss against promotion-chasing Leos. Mombasa are 11th on the log with 22 points while Monks have 23. Trojans and Eldoret RFC are tied on 25 points going into the final day.
At the same time, Maseno University sailed to the final of the Nationwide western conference after beating Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology 23-3. Maseno will play CITAM Kisumu, who defeated Bungoma 9-0, in the final
“It was a tough game. At half time, we had a five-point lead against them but after the half time pep talk, they responded well. My target is to play in KRU Championship next season,” said Maseno coach Shellan Nyawira.
In Rift Valley, Kitale RFC will clash with Kabarak University in the finals. Kitale defeated Molo RFC 22-0 while Kabarak saw off Moi University 16-9.
In Central, former KRU Championship side Jomo Kenyatta University of Science and Technology’s Cougars booked a place in the finals after beating Mt Kenya University Thika 8-0 while Embu RFC narrowly beat Kiambu 10-8.
Daystar Falcons qualified to Nairobi region finals after beating MKU Nairobi 30-3 while Shamas Rugby Foundation defeated Administration Police Warriors 20-9 in the other semi-finals.
