DBA Western Girls Shine, Then Take a Stand Against Age Cheating

Girls Open with a Statement Win

DBA Western Girls Academy walked into the age grade category at Dala 7s with something to prove, and their pool games did most of the talking. The opener against Kisumu turned into a statement early, with tries from Rose Kalamu, Patience Ahadi, Valary Aleyo and Mercy Lubanga stacking up before halftime pressure even set in. Ciara Awino slotted one conversion, Valary Aleyo added two more off the boot, and by the final whistle the scoreboard read 26-0.

A Moment of Brilliance Seals Game Two

Game two against Nyabururu was a tighter, scrappier affair, decided by a single moment rather than a flood of scoring. Mercy Lubanga picked the ball off the base of the scrum in the final minutes of the game and shot to the short side before anyone in yellow had registered what was happening, finishing untouched. That was the difference in a 5-0 win, the kind of score line that doesn't tell you much unless you were there to see how it happened.

Sidelined for Standing Their Ground

DBA Western girl’s academy had qualified for the semi-final on the back of those two results. Ahead of that game, DBA Africa western girls coach, Hassan, asked for eligibility papers for the Kenya Rugby Union select side they were due to face, standard practice given how much age grade rugby depends on players actually being the age they're entered as. Those papers were never produced. Coach Hassan made the call not to take the pitch against a team whose eligibility couldn't be verified, and for holding that line, it was the young girls from the DBA Western Girls Academy who ended up sidelined from the tournament rather than the opponent. Age cheating has been a quiet, persistent problem in the age grade game for a while now, and this is exactly the kind of moment that shows why it needs more than a quiet conversation to fix.

Coach Hassan Backs the Group's Growth

Despite the semi-final being taken from them, the group didn't leave Dala with nothing. Coach Hassan pointed to how far his side has come as a squad, saying he backs where they're headed because of how they keep showing up regardless of how little they're working with. For a team built on limited resources, showing up is the whole story, and knowing when to walk away from a fixture is part of it too. He commended the girls on their fluidity both on defense and attack despite key players being away for the KSSSA National games being held in Nairobi.

Rayvone "Forest" and Co. Take the Boys' Title

Age grade rugby had another headline elsewhere in the tournament, too. Rayvone Ambale, “Forest” alongside fellow under-20 teammates Mike Lukusi and Jackson Siketi, helped their side lift the Dala 7s title, with Ambale walking away with the finals MVP award.

The nickname "Forest" has followed him for a while now, and performances like this one are the reason it sticks. Almost a year removed from an ankle injury that cost him a shot at last year's HSBC Sevens World Series, Ambale says he's not looking back, only forward, confident he's exactly where he's supposed to be on the way up. He continues to star for his side, with heaps of praise on his composure, speed and game awareness flooding the socials. He is set to make his debut for the Kenya under 20 side "Chipu" at the Barthes Cup competitions in Uganda.