The Roar of the Valley: Recap on RVA's Double Win Over Alliance

On a chilly Tuesday afternoon, I was handed an exciting assignment — cover the midweek Prescott Cup face-off between Rift Valley Academy (RVA) and Alliance High School. At exactly 2:30 pm, the short but spirited ride began. 

The BushBucks, as Alliance are affectionately known, were in high spirits. The bus hummed with reggae rhythms — a pregame ritual to soothe the nerves and set the mood. The boys were locked in. Heads nodding to Chronixx, maybe a little Sizzla. Game faces with beats in the background. It’s in those small moments that you understand the team culture.

The day’s action featured both the senior (Prescott) and junior (Damu Pevu) sides. After a brisk warm-up, the referee’s whistle pierced the mountain silence, and the main event kicked off.

A Recap of the Clash

Alliance started strong, bursting into the RVA 22 with flair and intent. Their running lines were sharp and direct, and it looked like they would seize early control. But discipline — or lack thereof — proved costly. RVA punished their infringements with a penalty conversion, taking the lead and beginning a gradual takeover.

What followed was a momentous momentum shift. RVA's fans — complete with high-pitched "wazungu" chants echoing through the hills — powered their side forward. Just before the halftime whistle, RVA executed a textbook rolling maul, crashing over for their first try. Though the conversion sailed wide, the damage was done.

Halftime score: RVA 8 – Alliance 0.

Second half. Same cold, different energy

RVA’s tighthead prop turned into a human bulldozer, crashing through Alliance’s line for another try. No extras added, but they extended the lead. At this point, Alliance looked rattled. But like all great rugby sides, they found resolve. A successful penalty goal opened their account, followed by a surge of intensity that forced RVA into their own cycle of infringements to fall foul of the referee’s whistle. But RVA struck back with another penalty goal to stretch their lead again.

Then came a dramatic twist. A repeated dangerous tackle by RVA gifted Alliance a penalty try — a much-needed lifeline that closed the gap to six points.

But it was too little, too late. RVA’s defence held firm under pressure. The game ended 16–10 in favour of the hosts — a statement win for the boys from Buffalo Country.

Meanwhile, the Damu Pevu clash was a bloodbath; the junior boys served up a beatdown of biblical proportions. RVA's under-16s ran riot. Alliance barely touched the ball, and when they did, RVA snatched it back like unpaid rent.

Full-time: RVA 76 – Alliance 0— a result that sent a loud message to the rest of the competition.

The 2025 Prescott Cup will run until the finals on 21st June, featuring four regional zones for boys and a separate Nairobi competition for girls.

Prescott Regional Breakdown

Nairobi

Pool play (2 pools)

Pool A: Upper Hill, Strathmore, Mangu, Lenana

Pool B: RVA, Alliance, Githiga, Dawamu

Top 3 teams qualify.

Western

Home-and-away round-robin

Butula Boys, Kisii School, St Mary’s Yala

The top 2 teams qualify.

Rift Valley

Round-robin

St Patrick’s Iten, St Anthony’s Kitale, Kabianga High

The top 2 teams qualify.

Coast

N/A

One representative

Automatic berth

The format is straightforward: three teams from Nairobi, two each from Western and Rift Valley, and one from Coast make up the eight-team national finals. With the stakes higher than ever, every match carries the weight of tradition, pride, and a shot at national glory.