The opening day of the 2026 Dala Sevens delivered its fair share of surprises at the Jomo Kenyatta International Stadium in Kisumu, with hosts Kisumu RFC and MMUST producing performances that turned heads despite contrasting fortunes later in the day.
Fresh from reaching the Prinsloo 7s Cup semi-finals last weekend, MMUST proved they could compete with the very best after battling defending Prinsloo champions KCB Rugby to a 19-19 draw in their final Pool A clash.
The university side had begun their campaign with a narrow 17-12 defeat to Zetech Oaks before bouncing back with a convincing 19-5 victory over Impala RFC. Against the bankers, MMUST matched KCB blow for blow in one of the most entertaining matches of the day, denying the Nairobi giants a perfect pool campaign.
Although the draw was not enough to topple KCB from the top of Pool A, it secured MMUST a place in the Cup quarter-finals and underlined the team’s growing reputation as genuine contenders on the National Sevens Circuit.
In Pool C, hosts Kisumu RFC produced the first major upset of the tournament by edging Daystar Falcons 17-15 in their opening fixture. Having struggled in recent circuit outings, the lakeside outfit delighted the home supporters with a spirited display to overcome a Daystar side tipped to challenge for a Cup quarter-final place.
The victory gave Kisumu an ideal start before tougher assignments followed against Nondescripts and Mwamba RFC. They fell 34-12 to Nondies before losing 26-17 to Mwamba, narrowly missing out on a place in the Cup quarter-finals.
Despite the setbacks, the opening-round win over Daystar demonstrated Kisumu’s ability to compete with established circuit sides and gave the home fans plenty to cheer.
Elsewhere, Kabras Sugar, Menengai Oilers and Mwamba RFC all completed unbeaten pool campaigns to qualify for the Cup quarter-finals, while KCB Rugby topped Pool A after remaining unbeaten thanks to two wins and the draw against MMUST.
English