Strong Starts and Narrow Escapes Mark Day One of Chebisaas High School Rugby Open Tournament

By Mhalon Lichuma

Day one of the high-energy Chebisaas High School Rugby Open Tournament lived up to expectations, delivering gripping contests, dominant performances, and razor-thin margins as 15 teams battled for early momentum.

St Joseph’s Boys Kitale (JOBO) launched their campaign in style with a hard-fought 12–07 victory over Sang’alo Boys, setting the pace in an action-packed opening round. In other early fixtures, UoE High School endured a difficult start, going down 19–00 to a clinical Kipsaus Secondary, while St Patrick’s Iten edged KMTC 03–00 in one of the tightest encounters of the day.

Tournament hosts Chebisaas Boys made a bold statement on home soil, overpowering Kurgong 31–00 to underline their title ambitions. Laboret also impressed early, registering a solid 07–00 win over Sang’alo before returning later in the day for a second outing.

UoE High School’s challenges continued as they suffered a second defeat, this time a 21–00 loss to Kipsombe, who celebrated their first win of the competition. KMTC’s struggles persisted as they narrowly lost 03–00 to Wareng High, who claimed their maiden victory in a tense affair.

Chebisaas Boys maintained their impressive form in their second match, grinding out a 13–07 win over Laboret. Kurgong’s woes deepened after a heavy 29–00 defeat to a dominant Kilimani side, who later reinforced their authority with another emphatic 24–00 victory over Arnesens.

Laboret remained competitive, keeping their momentum alive with a slim 05–00 win against Baringo. Elsewhere, Kipsombe and Iten Day played out a goalless draw in a tightly contested clash, while Wareng edged Kipsigat 05–03 in another nail-biting encounter.

Baringo later suffered their second loss of the day, falling 05–00 to St Joseph’s Boys Kitale, while Kipsaos narrowly lost 03–00 to Iten Day in the concluding fixture.

Overall, the opening day showcased a compelling blend of power, precision, and perseverance, setting the stage for an exciting continuation of the Chebisaas High School Rugby Open Tournament.

Full Day One Results
JOBO 12–07 Sang’alo
UoE High 00–19 Kipsaus
St Patrick’s Iten 03–00 KMTC
Chebisaas 31–00 Kurgong
Laboret 07–00 Sang’alo
UoE High 00–21 Kipsombe
Wareng High 03–00 KMTC
Kilimani 29–00 Kurgong
Laboret 05–00 Baringo
Kipsombe 00–00 Iten Day
Wareng 05–03 Kipsigat
Arnesens 00–24 Kilimani
Kipsaos 00–03 Iten Day