24:
154:
in
Ireland, hence the name of the tournament. The school uses the same badge as Blackrock College and their rugby team also wear the same blue and white hoops as their sister institution. A further reminder of the strong Irish influence on the school is the former name of their playing fields where
166:
The
Blackrock Festival is a key event where future rugby stars in Kenya are identified, nurtured, and given the platform to shine. The Most Valuable Players from this festival have gone on to achieve great things in the game. For instance, Allan Hicks, who was 19 when he played for Kenya at the
143:, Kenya, usually around 17 and 23 May. It is claimed to be the biggest high school tournament in East Africa. The first tournament took place in 1983, and also featured a club rugby competition. The tournament is used by Kenyan rugby clubs to scout for new and upcoming players.
206:
The top team of each group qualifies for the quarter-finals of the Main Cup, while the second and third-placed team of each group qualify for the quarter-finals of the Plate and Bowl Cup respectively.
1133:
668:
768:
636:
200/=, and later KSh.100/=. This was in response to several security concerns that arose in the past few tournaments, especially thefts and disturbing the peace.
209:
Recently, a girls' tournament was introduced to run alongside the main boys' tournament. In the girls' tournament, there are 12 teams that compete for the cup.
864:
1113:
859:
838:
648:
1072:
1067:
1128:
926:
796:
1082:
761:
724:
1108:
1123:
833:
180:
1138:
828:
184:
176:
843:
698:
951:
754:
557:
513:
471:
429:
383:
341:
297:
136:
812:
1077:
168:
946:
941:
890:
1118:
1027:
982:
216:
format instead of the regular fifteen-a-side format while in 2023 and 2024, the competition was played in a
895:
200:
1051:
987:
956:
777:
1002:
936:
921:
108:
97:
147:
791:
151:
1017:
997:
632:
Entrance for spectators was free until 2012, when tickets began to be produced and sold for
633:
188:
172:
37:
Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.
931:
160:
1102:
1022:
900:
1087:
972:
213:
228:
Teams in each group advance to the Main Cup, Plate and Bowl Cup as shown below.
132:
63:
1012:
1007:
992:
977:
880:
217:
916:
885:
146:
St. Mary's School was founded in 1939 and, for many years, was run by the
639:
The tournament usually attracts crowds of about 2,000 people each year.
746:
140:
203:
format, normally with 24 teams divided into 8 groups of 3 teams each.
750:
17:
669:"St Mary's Blackrock festival registers record 36 entries"
187:. Other notable M.V.P.'s include Ugandan International
183:
teams, and went on to serve as Head Coach twice for
1060:
1036:
965:
909:
873:
852:
821:
805:
784:
725:"RVA launch Blackrock Rugby Festival title defence"
104:
93:
85:
77:
69:
59:
688:Manyatta, Kenya Rugby Union Newsletter, June 2010
230:
191:and former Kenya Simbas Head Coach, Paul Odera.
1134:Recurring sporting events established in 1983
762:
699:"All set for Blackrock festival at St Mary's"
8:
54:
769:
755:
747:
53:
212:In 2022, the competition was played in a
649:List of Blackrock Rugby Festival winners
1073:1962 British Lions tour to South Africa
1068:1955 British Lions tour to South Africa
659:
599:
555:
518:
511:
469:
427:
425:
381:
339:
306:
295:
7:
797:Rugby Football Union of East Africa
1083:2009 IRB Junior World Rugby Trophy
14:
1114:Rugby union competitions in Kenya
22:
199:The tournament is played in a
1:
952:Kenya National Sevens Circuit
942:Nairobi District Championship
125:St. Mary's Blackrock Festival
1129:1983 establishments in Kenya
161:Irish national rugby stadium
155:the tournament takes place,
1078:1964 Wales rugby union tour
667:Ayumba Ayodi (8 May 2010).
1155:
947:Bamburi Rugby Super Series
874:International Competitions
646:
483:
403:
395:
310:
1028:Strathmore University RFC
983:Kenya Commercial Bank RFC
614:
611:
608:
589:
586:
577:
574:
571:
569:
545:
542:
533:
530:
527:
501:
498:
488:
485:
459:
456:
447:
444:
441:
415:
412:
400:
397:
371:
368:
359:
356:
353:
329:
326:
308:
304:
302:
282:
270:
258:
248:
246:
243:
241:
238:
131:), is an annual school's
31:This article needs to be
1109:Blackrock Rugby Festival
1044:Blackrock Rugby Festival
285:
279:
276:
273:
267:
264:
261:
121:Blackrock Rugby Festival
55:Blackrock Rugby Festival
1124:High school rugby union
1139:Annual events in Kenya
572:Quarter-final Winner 4
543:Quarter-final Winner 3
398:Quarter-final Winner 2
369:Quarter-final Winner 1
169:Rugby World Cup Sevens
813:East Africa (Tuskers)
175:, who captained both
988:Kenya Harlequin F.C.
778:Rugby union in Kenya
135:competition held at
1003:Mombasa Sports Club
922:Eric Shirley Shield
806:Multinational teams
486:Semi-final Winner 2
457:Semi-final Winner 1
123:(also known as the
109:Rift Valley Academy
98:Rift Valley Academy
56:
148:Holy Ghost Fathers
1096:
1095:
927:Nationwide League
910:Club Competitions
896:Women's Elgon Cup
792:Kenya Rugby Union
625:
624:
560:
516:
474:
432:
386:
344:
300:
159:(named after the
152:Blackrock College
137:St. Mary's School
117:
116:
52:
51:
1146:
1119:Sport in Nairobi
1061:Related articles
1052:Damu Pevu Shield
1018:Nondescripts RFC
998:Mean Machine RFC
771:
764:
757:
748:
741:
740:
738:
736:
721:
715:
714:
712:
710:
695:
689:
686:
680:
679:
677:
675:
664:
643:Previous winners
628:Public influence
556:
512:
470:
428:
382:
340:
296:
231:
113:
57:
47:
44:
38:
26:
25:
18:
1154:
1153:
1149:
1148:
1147:
1145:
1144:
1143:
1099:
1098:
1097:
1092:
1056:
1032:
961:
957:Impala Floodlit
905:
869:
848:
817:
801:
780:
775:
745:
744:
734:
732:
723:
722:
718:
708:
706:
697:
696:
692:
687:
683:
673:
671:
666:
665:
661:
656:
651:
645:
630:
621:
606:
597:
584:
567:
553:
540:
525:
509:
496:
481:
467:
454:
439:
423:
410:
393:
379:
366:
351:
337:
324:
317:
293:
256:
236:
226:
197:
189:Philip Wokorach
173:Innocent Simiyu
111:
78:Number of teams
48:
42:
39:
36:
27:
23:
12:
11:
5:
1152:
1150:
1142:
1141:
1136:
1131:
1126:
1121:
1116:
1111:
1101:
1100:
1094:
1093:
1091:
1090:
1085:
1080:
1075:
1070:
1064:
1062:
1058:
1057:
1055:
1054:
1049:
1046:
1040:
1038:
1037:Schools' rugby
1034:
1033:
1031:
1030:
1025:
1020:
1015:
1010:
1005:
1000:
995:
990:
985:
980:
975:
969:
967:
963:
962:
960:
959:
954:
949:
944:
939:
934:
932:Enterprise Cup
929:
924:
919:
913:
911:
907:
906:
904:
903:
898:
893:
888:
883:
877:
875:
871:
870:
868:
867:
862:
856:
854:
850:
849:
847:
846:
841:
836:
831:
825:
823:
819:
818:
816:
815:
809:
807:
803:
802:
800:
799:
794:
788:
786:
785:Governing body
782:
781:
776:
774:
773:
766:
759:
751:
743:
742:
716:
690:
681:
658:
657:
655:
652:
647:Main article:
644:
641:
629:
626:
623:
622:
619:
616:
615:
613:
610:
607:
604:
601:
600:
598:
595:
592:
591:
588:
585:
582:
579:
578:
576:
573:
570:
568:
565:
562:
561:
558:Saints Pitch E
554:
551:
548:
547:
544:
541:
538:
535:
534:
532:
529:
526:
523:
520:
519:
517:
514:Saints Pitch C
510:
507:
504:
503:
500:
497:
494:
491:
490:
487:
484:
482:
479:
476:
475:
472:Saints Pitch C
468:
465:
462:
461:
458:
455:
452:
449:
448:
446:
443:
440:
437:
434:
433:
430:Saints Pitch A
426:
424:
421:
418:
417:
414:
411:
408:
405:
404:
402:
399:
396:
394:
391:
388:
387:
384:Saints Pitch B
380:
377:
374:
373:
370:
367:
364:
361:
360:
358:
355:
352:
349:
346:
345:
342:Saints Pitch B
338:
335:
332:
331:
328:
325:
322:
319:
318:
315:
312:
311:
309:
307:
305:
303:
301:
298:Saints Pitch A
294:
291:
288:
287:
284:
281:
278:
275:
272:
269:
266:
263:
260:
257:
254:
251:
250:
247:
245:
242:
240:
239:Quarter-finals
237:
234:
225:
224:Knockout stage
222:
196:
193:
157:Lansdowne Road
115:
114:
106:
102:
101:
95:
91:
90:
87:
83:
82:
79:
75:
74:
71:
67:
66:
61:
50:
49:
30:
28:
21:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1151:
1140:
1137:
1135:
1132:
1130:
1127:
1125:
1122:
1120:
1117:
1115:
1112:
1110:
1107:
1106:
1104:
1089:
1086:
1084:
1081:
1079:
1076:
1074:
1071:
1069:
1066:
1065:
1063:
1059:
1053:
1050:
1047:
1045:
1042:
1041:
1039:
1035:
1029:
1026:
1024:
1023:Scorpions RFC
1021:
1019:
1016:
1014:
1011:
1009:
1006:
1004:
1001:
999:
996:
994:
991:
989:
986:
984:
981:
979:
976:
974:
971:
970:
968:
964:
958:
955:
953:
950:
948:
945:
943:
940:
938:
937:Supremacy Cup
935:
933:
930:
928:
925:
923:
920:
918:
915:
914:
912:
908:
902:
901:Safari Sevens
899:
897:
894:
892:
889:
887:
884:
882:
879:
878:
876:
872:
866:
863:
861:
858:
857:
855:
851:
845:
842:
840:
837:
835:
832:
830:
827:
826:
824:
820:
814:
811:
810:
808:
804:
798:
795:
793:
790:
789:
787:
783:
779:
772:
767:
765:
760:
758:
753:
752:
749:
731:. 2 June 2023
730:
726:
720:
717:
705:. 1 June 2023
704:
700:
694:
691:
685:
682:
670:
663:
660:
653:
650:
642:
640:
637:
635:
627:
618:
617:
603:
602:
594:
593:
581:
580:
564:
563:
559:
550:
549:
537:
536:
522:
521:
515:
506:
505:
493:
492:
478:
477:
473:
464:
463:
451:
450:
436:
435:
431:
420:
419:
407:
406:
390:
389:
385:
376:
375:
363:
362:
348:
347:
343:
334:
333:
321:
320:
314:
313:
299:
290:
289:
253:
252:
233:
232:
229:
223:
221:
219:
215:
210:
207:
204:
202:
194:
192:
190:
186:
182:
178:
174:
170:
164:
162:
158:
153:
149:
144:
142:
138:
134:
130:
126:
122:
110:
107:
103:
99:
96:
92:
88:
84:
80:
76:
72:
68:
65:
62:
58:
46:
34:
29:
20:
19:
16:
1088:RFUEA Ground
1048:Prescott Cup
1043:
973:Homeboyz RFC
891:Victoria Cup
733:. Retrieved
728:
719:
707:. Retrieved
702:
693:
684:
672:. Retrieved
662:
638:
631:
227:
214:seven-a-side
211:
208:
205:
198:
185:Kenya Simbas
165:
163:in Dublin).
156:
145:
128:
124:
120:
118:
100:(12th title)
40:
32:
15:
244:Semi-finals
201:round-robin
195:Competition
177:Kenya's 15s
133:rugby union
112:(12 titles)
105:Most titles
64:Rugby union
1103:Categories
1013:Nakuru RFC
1008:Mwamba RFC
993:Kisumu RFC
978:Impala RFC
881:Africa Cup
654:References
218:ten-a-side
127:or simply
70:Instituted
917:Kenya Cup
886:Elgon Cup
171:in 2001,
129:Blackrock
43:July 2014
220:format.
860:Women's
674:16 June
612:
575:
531:
489:
445:
401:
357:
141:Nairobi
94:Holders
86:Country
33:updated
735:5 June
729:Nation
709:5 June
703:Nation
620:
609:Pool F
605:
596:
590:
587:Pool C
583:
566:
552:
546:
539:
528:Pool G
524:
508:
502:
499:Pool B
495:
480:
466:
460:
453:
442:Pool E
438:
422:
416:
413:Pool D
409:
392:
378:
372:
365:
354:Pool H
350:
336:
330:
327:Pool A
323:
316:
292:
286:
283:
280:
277:
274:
271:
268:
265:
262:
259:
255:
235:
181:Sevens
966:Clubs
853:Women
829:Kenya
249:Final
89:Kenya
60:Sport
844:U-18
839:U-20
737:2023
711:2023
676:2010
634:KSh.
179:and
119:The
73:1983
822:Men
150:of
139:in
1105::
865:7s
834:7s
727:.
701:.
81:24
770:e
763:t
756:v
739:.
713:.
678:.
45:)
41:(
35:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.