Menengai Oilers take early lead as rugby season kicks off
Menengai Oilers playing against Nakuru RFC during the Nakuru Derby.
Rugby fans were treated to a thrilling derby when Nakuru RFC hosted Menengai Oilers at Nakuru Athletics Club (NAC) in the fourth round of the Kenya Cup 2024/25 season.
The stands were packed with passionate supporters of both teams and the players put on a nail-biting display.
The match began with Nakuru RFC making the first move. Jaavan Otieno broke through the Menengai Oilers defence to score the opening try sending the home crowd into a frenzy.
Nakuru RFC Fans sing the teams anthem at the game.
However, Menengai Oilers responded quickly with a penalty try before Elekim Msonye and Andrew Odero added further tries to give them a comfortable lead at half-time.
After the break, Menengai Oilers continued to dominate and maintained control throughout the second half with the match ending at 32-15.
Menengai Oilers captain Ibrahim Ayodi was delighted with the win, but admitted that the team's performance was far from perfect.
Menengai Oilers Captain Ibrahim Ayodi during being interviewed after the games.
He emphasised the need for continuous improvement as the season progresses.
"We're happy with the win, but we know there's a lot of room for improvement. We've just come back from the holidays and we weren't at our best," Ayodi says.
"This derby win is a huge boost for us, especially as we're still finding our rhythm as a team. We need to focus on keeping the ball longer and capitalising on key moments as the competition heats up."
Nakuru RFC captain Philip Okeyo during an interview after the game.
Nakuru RFC captain Phillip Okeyo acknowledged the competitive nature of the match despite the defeat. He noted that this year's derby was an improvement on the previous one and stressed the need for the team to regroup and refine their tactics ahead of future fixtures.
"We've made progress since last year's derby and we're learning from every game," Okeyo says.
"We'll go back to the drawing board, refine our approach and make sure we're better prepared for the next game."
Menengai Oilers making a try against Nakuru RFC.
The win lifted Menengai Oilers to a strong position with five wins, while Nakuru RFC have three wins from their eight meetings.
Nakuru RFC will be disappointed not to have leveled the win-loss record and claimed local bragging rights, but the intense derby highlighted the growing competitiveness of the teams as the season progresses.