Kisii School’s Raptors completed a remarkable turnaround at the 2025 FEASSSA Rugby XVs in Kakamega, beating All Saints Embu 11–6 in the final to be crowned East Africa champions. This was the team's first triumph in the regional games.

What made the victory sweeter was the context: Kisii had already lost to All Saints, FEASSA defending champions, in the group stages. To meet again in the final, with the title at stake, was a chance for redemption. And this time, the Raptors did not falter.

Kisii School Learning From Defeat

Assistant coach Nelvin Lumiti was quick to highlight how their earlier loss became a learning point and a call to re-strategise.

“We initially struggled with taking our chances well, especially in the first game, where we missed several opportunities,” he explained. “But after restrategizing and learning from our mistakes, we improved and managed to convert some chances in the later games.”

That adaptability was on full display in the final. Kisii tightened their structures, leaned on their kickers, and showed patience in defence – a mirror image of their group stage performance where wastefulness had cost them.

In the final, the team opted to go for a goal from penalties rather than lineouts, as was the case in the first loss against the Embu side. 

“Any chance we got to shoot at the goal, we went for it”, stated coach Lumiti. “We got two out of five,” he added.

Tisini’s rugby agent, Edmond, who tracked both teams through the tournament, noted that the new East African champions relied heavily on having strong kickers.

The Raptors' habitual kicking game had its strengths when going for directing points. However, it may have affected the team’s hold on possession and attacking play, which was especially evident against Kenyan teams.

“Our attack didn't go as planned. We only attacked effectively against the two Ugandan sides, Budo and Busoga. Against the Kenyan sides, we mostly defended and didn't attack much, which is an area we need to improve,” observed coach Lumiti.

This sentiment was echoed by Tisini’s Edmond, “I don’t understand why they still kick even getting into the opponent’s 22.”

Overreliance on kicking is what may have led to All Saints Embu winning the group stage games.

“In the first game against All Saints, they had lots of grubber kicks. They kept trying to cross-kick to their teammates in the opponent's 22, and they ended up losing the possession,” Edmond noted.

“Most of the time, the counter-attacks either ended up in a try or All Saints gaining territory, coming close to the edge. And even though they didn't get into the 22, they went for the points and grabbed the points,”

The lack of possession was evident from Tisini’s data; All Saints enjoyed nearly twice the possession and territory that Kisii managed.

Ultimately, Kisii's success in the final was due to a few key factors: they had no injuries, their kicking game was on point, and their defence, with a 92% tackle rate, completely shut down All Saints' attempts to score a try

All Saints Embu’ Painful Near-Miss

For All Saints, the final was one of missed opportunities. Their defensive structure was impressive, particularly inside the 22, where they repeatedly repelled Kisii’s drives. Tisini data shows the team had a 95% tackle completion rate.

 But in the attack, they failed to turn pressure into points. “The way All Saints approach games is intriguing,” observed Edmond.

“They’re excellent in their red zone – very disciplined, very hard to break down.” 

 Embu’s challenge comes in when they get into the opponent's 50.

“They are not great at utilizing the opportunity. So, they are good when exiting their red zone. But after getting into the opponent's 22, you'll find that most of their carries are lateral,”

Despite a series of 9 or 10 passes, the team failed to advance, forcing them to kick the ball away and lose their position on the field.

“From what I was observing, I'd say maybe the coach wanted them to play many phases, trying to force Kisi into conceding a penalty, then have their team kick for goal,”

Although they sometimes succeeded by holding the ball for many phases, a tactic that forced Kisii to concede 10 penalties, particularly near the halfway line.

It ultimately failed because their kicker had an off day, converting only 2 of the 10 penalties.

The Matrix Factor

Kisii’s trump card was once again Matrix Matangi, their talismanic centre and three-time Nyanza U19 MVP. Now officially crowned the East Africa MVP, Matangi dictated the flow of the game with his boot.

Alongside Matangi, Kisii’s fullback stood out. Calm under pressure, he repeatedly fielded high balls and diffused All Saints’ counterattacks, helping his team control the territorial battle.

Edmond observed, “The standard players for Kisii for me would be Matrix, who's their kicker. He played centre, and he was a really good kicker. And their 15. He's a short boy but very calm under pressure, always getting the high balls, and he's also good at territorial kicks.

Matrix gets his MVP award.

Champions’ Mentality

In the end, the difference came down to mentality. Kisii, stung by their earlier defeat, entered the final with renewed focus. 

“Kisii showed composure,” Lumiti reflected. “We told the boys that if they settled early and took their chances, the game was ours. That’s exactly what they did.”

For Kisii, the title cements their status as a powerhouse of schoolboy rugby. Already Kenya 15s champions in 2023 and 2024, National Prescott champions in 2025, and National 15s runners-up in 2025, the Raptors have now added the East Africa XVs crown to their collection.

The team has sealed its legacy as the kings of East African school rugby.

Image Credit: Kisii School