Kabras Sugar RFC ended their long wait for a victory over KCB Rugby on Sunday, defeating the defending champions 15–5 in the final to lift the 2026 Driftwood 7s title at Mombasa Sports Club.
The victory capped a strong campaign for the Sugar Men, who have now won two of the four completed legs of the 2026 SportPesa National Sevens Circuit, adding the Driftwood crown to their earlier success at the Dala 7s in Kisumu.
KCB, meanwhile, remain at the top of the overall circuit standings despite losing the Driftwood final. The Bankers have won the Prinsloo 7s and successfully defended their Kabeberi 7s title, with their consistency across the four legs keeping them three points ahead of Kabras.
Sunday’s final was the third meeting between the two sides this season. KCB had beaten Kabras in the Prinsloo 7s final before getting the better of them again during the pool stage of the Kabeberi 7s.
Kabras were also chasing their first victory over the Bankers in more than two sevens seasons, having last beaten KCB at the 2024 Christie 7s.
KCB made a quick start to the final, with Festus Shiasi finishing a well-executed kick-and-chase to put the defending champions 5–0 ahead. The conversion attempt went wide.
Kabras responded through Griffin Chao, who followed up after Jackson Siketi’s kick-and-chase. Siketi was tackled off the ball during the move, allowing Chao to finish and level the scores at 5–5.
The Sugar Men completed their turnaround soon afterwards when Kevin Wekesa powered down the right flank before crossing the line to give Kabras a 10–5 advantage.
Kabras continued to apply pressure and sealed the victory through Chao, who completed his brace after exploiting an overload to score in the left corner.
The 15–5 victory delivered Kabras their first Driftwood title and finally gave them a win over their biggest rivals this season.
Kabras had earlier reached the final after a commanding 19–0 semi-final victory over Daystar Falcons. KCB booked their place in the decider by edging Menengai Oilers 10–5 in the other semi-final.
The quarter-finals had seen Kabras defeat Uganda 7s 27–5, while Daystar Falcons overcame NYS Spades 17–5. KCB edged Nondescripts 17–14 and Menengai Oilers defeated Mwamba RFC 31–5.
The result has significantly tightened the overall circuit race.
KCB lead the standings after four legs with 76 points, having collected 22 points at Prinsloo, 13 at Dala, 22 at Kabeberi and 19 at Driftwood.
Kabras are second on 73 points, just three behind the Bankers. Their tally comprises 15 points at Prinsloo, 21 at Dala, 15 at Kabeberi and 22 from their Driftwood triumph.
The two sides have therefore split the four tournament titles between them. KCB have won Prinsloo and Kabeberi, while Kabras have taken Dala and Driftwood.
Menengai Oilers sit third on 58 points, having accumulated seven at Prinsloo, 19 at Dala, 17 at Kabeberi and 15 at Driftwood.
Daystar Falcons and Kenya Harlequin share fourth place on 52 points. Daystar have collected 13, 10, 12 and 17 points respectively across the four legs, while Harlequin earned 15 points in each of the first three tournaments before taking seven at Driftwood.
With two legs remaining in the six-leg championship, the title race is now finely poised. KCB’s consistency has kept them at the summit, but Kabras’ back-to-back tournament victories at Dala and Driftwood have brought the Sugar Men within touching distance.
The final two legs will determine whether KCB can hold on to their advantage or Kabras can complete a late-season charge for the overall 2026 SportPesa National Sevens Circuit crown.
