Prescott Cup: Stage set for fierce rugby battle as schools eye glory

The 2025 Prescott Cup will kick off this Wednesday marking the start of a month-long rugby extravaganza across the country as top school battle to top honours with the finals slated for June 21, 2025.

This year’s tournament will feature a mix of seasoned giants and rising contenders from across Kenya's secondary schools, all vying for a spot in the national finals.

In the Nairobi region, the schools will be in two pools. Pool ‘A’ will include Upper Hill School, Strathmore School, Mangu High, and Lenana School, while Pool ‘B’ will feature Rift Valley Academy, Alliance High, Githiga High, and Dawamu School. The top three teams from this region will proceed to the nationals, giving Nairobi the highest number of qualifying slots.

Western region’s matches will be played in a home-and-away round-robin format, with Butula Boys, Kisii School, and St. Mary’s Yala all battling it out for the two available slots. A similar setup will be employed in the Rift Valley region, where St. Patrick’s Iten, St. Anthony’s Kitale, and the 2024 regional Champions Kabianga High, are all expected to serve up some thrilling action as they hunt the two qualifying positions.

In the Coast, the region’s sole representative earns an automatic berth in the nationals.

Altogether, the national finals will consist of eight teams: three from Nairobi, two from Western, two from Rift Valley, and one from the Coast. These teams will go head-to-head for the coveted Prescott Cup title in what promises to be an exciting showcase of school rugby talent.

Meanwhile, the girls’ tournament which will only be hosted within the Nairobi region will feature four schools; Nova Pioneer, St Teresa Girls Kithimu, Rift Valley Academy, and Kinale Girls.

The teams will face each other in a round robin format with the final standings determining the 2025 Prescott champion. 

The Prescott Cup switched to the knockout format last year after deliberations between the participating schools, organizers and the Kenya Rugby Union.