Kenya Harlequins booked their place in the 2026 Dala 7s Cup semi-finals after edging defending champions KCB Rugby 14-12 in a thrilling quarter-final contest at the Jomo Kenyatta International Stadium in Kisumu.
Quins struck first through Patrick Wainaina, who sliced through the KCB defence for the opening try before converting his own effort to hand his side an early 7-0 lead.
KCB responded through Brian Wahinya, who crossed over to reduce the deficit. However, the conversion sailed wide, leaving the Bankers trailing 7-5.
The defending champions soon found their rhythm as George Ooro powered over for KCB’s second try, with Wahinya adding the conversion to give the Bankers a 12-7 advantage heading into the halftime break.
The contest turned dramatically after the restart when KCB were dealt a double blow. Festus Shiasi and Nygel Amaitsa were both shown yellow cards in quick succession, reducing the Bankers to five players.
Kenya Harlequins took full advantage of the numerical superiority, with Patrick Wainaina grabbing his second try of the match under the posts. The simple conversion saw Quins reclaim the lead at 14-12.
Despite relentless pressure from KCB in the closing stages, the Quins defence stood firm to preserve their narrow advantage and seal a famous victory over the defending champions.
The result sends Kenya Harlequins into the Dala 7s Cup semi-finals, while KCB’s hopes of retaining their title come to an end in Kisumu.
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