Good start for Chipu in Africa Barthes tourney

Kenya national U20 rugby team Chipu stormed to the semifinals of the Rugby Africa Barthes Trophy after thumping Uganda 44-20 at the Nyayo National Stadium on Saturday evening.

Chipu started on a high note cutting through Uganda missing the spot only by a whisker. However, it did not take long before Kenya broke the deadlock in the fifth minute to make it 5-0 but missed the conversion.

A slight slip by the hosts got punished by the visiting side making it 5-5. Patrick Wainaina stretched the lead to 10-5 scoring a brilliant try in the seventeenth minute.

Chipu's creativity was simply sublime and unstoppable. Uganda put resistance but the attacking output from Kenya was impossible to combat, touching the ground again to stretch the lead to 15-5.

Olago's players came into this game after finishing third in last year's edition.

 They edged their arch rivals 54-20 in the quarterfinals, with this being a repeat of the 2022 encounter.

Kenya Harlequin forward and skipper Laban Kipsang’ scored a fabulous try which was later converted to make it 22-5. Uganda scored from a penalty spot to reach 8 before adding the last try before halftime.

Finally, the hosts sealed the comfortable 44-20 triumph in an electrifying showdown.

In other results, defending champions Zimbabwe thrashed Cote D'Ivoire 55-0 to book the semifinals spot. Namibia knocked Zambia out of the competition after defeating those 20-12 while Tunisia beat Madagascar 52-16.