Braeburn Garden Estate U9 Rugby and Netball festivals

Having attended multiple trips both locally and nationally with the students of BMIS I have to say that the U9 Rugby and Netball festivals are one of our favourites to take part in. The event is huge fun and a great deal of learning takes place during it. The students' gain from this trip is huge and this year was no exception.

The trip, as many do, begins early with the early morning pick ups and getting to the train. We think we have seen excited children before…. we may have set a record! The children were fantastic, enthusiastic and full of energy for the whole bus and train trip to Nairobi! When we arrived at our lodgings we immediately hit the field and practised some of the basics for the following day. A little later Braeburn Nanyuki arrived, so after eating we had the chance to combine for some games and the children had a great time making more friends and memories.

Please note that the format of the festivals means that no scores are recorded or published, but we can discuss the games and the things that our children did in performances. This is really important as it means our children do not have pressure piled upon them for the events, and coaches also do not push every ounce for a win, that ultimately means that the children can play and enjoy the games they still learn about winning and losing but with less resting on their shoulders.

The following day the students were up and ready for breakfast early. They headed straight for the field to practise and warm themselves up as we had some time before things really got going.

The first Rugby game was against Peponi house. The boys were nervously excited and began showing this, however, we did get into this game and David scored a beautifully made try in the left corner in a game they grew into and became more confident throughout. The Peponi teacher praised our boys after the game, saying that we had some very able players. As the game progressed our players continued to improve and played very well, Otto was captain for the tournament and led the way with a try against Pembroke and some very good running with the ball. Adam and Ishmeer made good runs and looked to tackle whenever they could, Garang, our youngest player ran very well with the ball and flew into tackles. The performances against Pembroke and Nanyuki were possibly our best, with trys’ from David and Otto, brilliant ball carrying form Adam, Almost scoring in the corner and fantastic tackling from Alex and Veer. Etienne made brave and strong runs forwards deep into BGE’s and Kenton’s lines, narrowly missing out on scoring himself on numerous occasions, but making several opportunities for others. Veer bravely put himself in line for tackles - making strong runs as well. As the festival progressed the team grew and grew, improving in both terms of game understanding and teamwork. In the final few matches we really held our own, performing very well and both scoring good tries and defending resolutely.

The U9 girls' netball team showcased remarkable determination and hard work at the netball festival, competing in five challenging matches against tough opposition. Under the inspiring leadership of their captain Jasmine, the team delivered excellent performances throughout the event. Clementine emerged as the team's top scorer, notably equalising the score in a thrilling match against Pembroke House, demonstrating her scoring prowess and composure under pressure.

The defensive lineup, featuring Jasmine, Nyadeng, and Amina, displayed exceptional skill in blocking their opponents' attacks, successfully limiting the scoring opportunities for BGE and Kenton. Their coordinated efforts and effective defending tactics were key in maintaining a solid defensive front. Meanwhile, Willa and Maanat excelled as attacking players, creating spaces for ball movement and setting up numerous scoring opportunities. Overall, the U9 girls' team exhibited commendable teamwork and sportsmanship, making their presence felt strongly throughout the festival.

As a group the U9 girls and boys were terrific. There was amazing games played, skills gained and friends made. Some excellent experiences for our young sports stars.

We are very proud of them all.

Nigel Moyse & Deborah Barasa