Kisii School have declared themselves the favourites to lift the 2025 Prescott Cup.
Coach Edwin Morara is confident about retaining the title they won in 2023. The national final was not held last year following a decision by the Kenya Rugby Union.
Kisii School take on Lenana School in the quarterfinals at RFUEA Grounds on Thursday. Former national secondary school champions Butula Boys’ face St. Patrick’s High School, EIten, while the coast region’s Waa High battle Alliance High School.
Nairobi’s Rift Valley Academy will square out with Kabianga High from Rift Valley.
Morara said: “As national secondary schools rugby 15s runners up, we are favourites to win the Prescott Cup. We are rugby powerhouses and we want to continue with our dominance.”
They will use the tournament to gauge their preparedness ahead of the Federation of East Africa Secondary Schools Sports Association championships in Kakamega in August.
“We will use this competition to confirm whether the boys will implement what we have been doing in training. The tournament will help us gauge the team’s fitness, defence and attack,” said Morara.
Kisii School retained the Western region title two weeks ago after beating archrivals Butula Boys’ 17-7 in a tough final played at St Mary’s School, Yala.
Butula Boys’ coach Bonfotra Alumasa dared their rivals, declaring that they would travel to Nairobi to claim the trophy.
“Expect some good rugby from the boys in Nairobi. I will field a development side comprising Form Two and Form Three players, but that does not mean we can’t challenge for the title,” said Alumasa.
He will use the tournament to prepare for next year’s Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association rugby 15s competition.
Butula return to the 15s scene after missing this year’s schools’ competition following a one-year ban after fielding an ineligible player during last year’s FEASSA games in Mbale, Uganda.
