{"id":3675,"date":"2025-06-23T14:22:56","date_gmt":"2025-06-23T14:22:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thenewsroomhub.co.ke\/?p=3675"},"modified":"2025-06-23T14:22:56","modified_gmt":"2025-06-23T14:22:56","slug":"ol-pejeta-hosts-18-teams-for-landmark-10th-rhino-cup-tournament","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thenewsroomhub.co.ke\/index.php\/2025\/06\/23\/ol-pejeta-hosts-18-teams-for-landmark-10th-rhino-cup-tournament\/","title":{"rendered":"Ol Pejeta Hosts 18 Teams for Landmark 10th Rhino Cup Tournament"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n\r\nA weekend of cricketing brilliance, wildlife advocacy, and community celebration came to a breathtaking close as the 10th edition of the Rhino Cup ended in dramatic fashion at the Ol Pejeta Conservancy.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nThe annual tournament, held from June 20 to 22, delivered both sporting excitement and a strong message of conservation, cementing its place as one of Africa\u2019s most unique cricketing spectacles.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nAgainst a backdrop of stormy skies and the iconic conservancy\u2019s scenic landscape \u2014 home to over 200 rhinos, including the last two northern white rhinos \u2014 the Elite Division final between Meru Cricket Club and Ndovu Crushers culminated in a rare, nail-biting tie.\r\n\r\n \r\n
\"\"<\/figure>\r\n \r\n\r\nTorrential rains halted play mid-innings, forcing officials to declare a draw and crown both teams as joint winners in a symbolic gesture of unity.\r\n\r\n \r\n
\u201cThis year\u2019s event has surpassed our expectations,\u201d said Ken Kimani<\/strong>, Chief Commercial Officer at Ol Pejeta Conservancy. \u201cThe Rhino Cup has grown into a global spectacle, renowned not only for its competitive spirit but also for its charitable mission. All proceeds will go towards rhino conservation efforts here at Ol Pejeta.\u201d\r\n\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n \r\n
\"\"<\/figure>\r\n \r\n\r\nIn the Kifaru Cup, a mid-tier division, Hari Om Titans dominated with clinical precision, charging through the tournament to lift the trophy.\r\n\r\n \r\n
\"\"<\/figure>\r\n \r\n\r\nMeanwhile, in the Sudan Smash, a community-oriented tier named after Sudan \u2014 the last male northern white rhino \u2014 Nane Bora captured hearts and victory alike with a spirited performance capped off by traditional song and dance.\r\n\r\n \r\n
\"\"<\/figure>\r\n \r\n\r\nIn a surprise twist, hosts Ol Pejeta Cricket Club found themselves at the bottom of the standings, humorously receiving the \u201cwooden spoon\u201d in the light-hearted Wooden Spoon Playoff, drawing cheers and good-natured laughter from players and fans alike.\r\n\r\n \r\n
\u201cWe started with just a handful of teams,\u201d recalled Robert Stevenson<\/strong>, Tournament Director. \u201cNow, in our 10th year, we\u2019ve hosted 18 teams across three divisions. And next year, we\u2019re going even bigger\u2014with 24 teams, including a women\u2019s division and underprivileged youth from Laikipia and Nairobi. This tournament is about much more than cricket\u2014it\u2019s about opportunity, impact, and legacy.\u201d\r\n\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n \r\n\r\nThe high-octane 10-over format, featuring quick retirements, strict bowling limits, and power-play overs, kept fans on edge throughout.\r\n\r\n \r\n
\"\"<\/figure>\r\n \r\n\r\nEach team was guaranteed three pool games before the high-stakes Sunday finals and playoffs, ensuring full participation and thrilling competition.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nThe weekend concluded with the Sudan Memorial Cup awarded to the most generous donor team\u2014underscoring the event\u2019s core mission: protecting endangered species and fostering a sustainable future through sport and solidarity.\r\n\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A weekend of cricketing brilliance, wildlife advocacy, and community celebration came to a breathtaking close as the 10th edition of…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3676,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[117,36],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3675","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sport-2","category-sport"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/thenewsroomhub.co.ke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/770.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thenewsroomhub.co.ke\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3675","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thenewsroomhub.co.ke\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thenewsroomhub.co.ke\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thenewsroomhub.co.ke\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thenewsroomhub.co.ke\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3675"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/thenewsroomhub.co.ke\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3675\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3677,"href":"https:\/\/thenewsroomhub.co.ke\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3675\/revisions\/3677"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thenewsroomhub.co.ke\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3676"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thenewsroomhub.co.ke\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3675"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thenewsroomhub.co.ke\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3675"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thenewsroomhub.co.ke\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3675"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}