Nairobi's Best Step Up as Kenton College Hosts DBA 7s Trials

The road to a DBA Africa 7s squad has begun, and Nairobi showed up in force.

This past weekend, Kenton College hosted the Nairobi trials for the new regional DBA 7s team. Over 50 under-18 athletes, mostly from Grade 9 and 10, came from 9 academies and 14 schools across the city. It was a strong showing of the talent coming through in the region.

Selected by the best

The boys showcased their talents at the DBA Africa Rugby Academy in front of three selectors who have all represented Kenya Rugby on the world stage: Eden Agero, Sheila Chajira and Michael Kimwele. All three said how exciting it was to watch a group of young athletes giving everything they had.

Put to the test

Coaches Philip Wamae (Rugby Academy head), Leon Nyaang and Archadious Kwesa split the day into stations, each testing a different part of the game:

• Passing and handling
• Tackling
• Decision-making and communication
• Fitness and endurance

The coaches and selectors marked every athlete on a scorecard as they worked through each station.

Game time

After the tests, the players split into 7-a-side teams for round-robin games. The coaches kept rotating the teams so every athlete had a fair chance to show what he could do with the ball in hand. The standard was very high, and some players clearly stood out. Credit goes to the schools and rugby academies who put these young players forward.

Behind the scenes with Rogue Rugby

The day also marked the start of a new partnership between DBA Africa and Rogue Rugby. Their team was pitchside capturing the preparations and behind-the-scenes moments, and they'll be following the squad's journey from here. Look out for their content on our channels.

"A tough time picking the squad"

Team Manager Storm Trentham was impressed by the timekeeping and attention to detail on the day:

"The team looks very athletic and full of ambitious young individuals. It was a great turnout, and I am sure the coaches and selectors are going to have a tough time picking the squad."

The squad: 

DBA

Fredrick Okoth

Danvas Mwangi Nyang'au

Moses Owino Wafula

Mohammed Salim

Derrick Oveiya

Patrick Munyao

Knight Sanchez

Arshavine Madegwa

Barnabas Ochieng

OFAFA

Moses Krigler

Kyle Amisi

OLOLO

Stanley Omondi

Bravin Odour

Victor Ochieng

UPPER HILL

Raymond Maranga

Ian Otieno

Ochieng Sam

Garang Guor

VISIONS

Aaron Joshua

LENANA RUGBY PROGRAMME

Nathan Kipto

Jeremiah John

 Sam Wekesa

KINGS

⁠⁠Alvin Ochieng

Baguin Ojura

Edwin Chege

TATU CITY

Nicholas Muremi Ndungu

Daniel Wainaina

ALLPLAYS

Derrick Ajiseli

What's next

Training will run two weekends a month while school is in session. The squad will then come together for a camp over the festive season.

Watch this space. The journey has only just begun.