South Coast Pirates sink Impala to win KRU Championship title

South Coast Pirates made history by being crowned KRU Championship champions after an exhilarating 16-14 win against Impala RFC at the Seacrest Grounds in Diani, Kwale County.

In what was a chaotic start to the match, both teams took turns to venture into each other’s territory with neither side willing to cede any ground.

Impala took a lead deep into the first half following a series of infringements by the South Coast Pirates forwards that ended with the referee awarding a penalty against the Kwale team.

Pirates hit back immediately with a penalty of their own with fly half Kelly Akengo slotting in between the posts from an angle. The game came to life after that with some crunching tackles but neither side could take the lead going into the break.

Impala could have taken the lead immediately at the start of the second half but full back Quinton Oongo placed his kick just wide. He made no such mistake however when he got another opportunity with a penalty deep inside the Pirates twenty two to give Impala a 6-3 lead.

Pirates hit back immediately with Kelly Akengo drawing the hosts level with a penalty. The game opened up after this and following some intricate passing, Impala dotted down to score the first try of the match to extend their lead to 11-6.

Impala looked to stretch their advantage but handling errors proved to be their undoing. Kelly Akengo once again put them to the sword with a penalty kick to bring the Pirates back to within two points of the lead. But once again, Pirates’ indiscipline at the breakdown cost them. Another penalty by Quinton looked to have won the game for Impala. With five minutes left, they led 14-9.

However, in the most dramatic of finishes, with Impala camped in their own 5 meter line, Pirates lost possession and looked to have lost the match. With the last play of the game, the Nairobi side looked to kick for touch, but Sospeter Rofino charged down the kick, and touched down to win Pirates the game. Kelly Akengo made no mistake with the conversion, sparking wild celebrations.

Both teams will now play in the Kenya Cup next season. The win however means Pirates’ promotion will come with the added tag of champions.

Speaking to Citizen Digital, man-of-the match, Sospeter Rofino expressed his delight for what he describes as the biggest moment in his career. “This is my first season with the team and everything we have been working on throughout the season has culminated to this moment. It is an unbelievable moment for me, in front of our fans and in a match of this magnitude.”