The Kenya men’s national rugby sevens team, Shujaa, finished 10th in the recently concluded third round of the 2025 HSBC SVNS – Perth 7s, following a 19-12 loss to New Zealand in the 9th place final.

This marked Shujaa’s second defeat to New Zealand during the tournament, having previously lost to them 29-14 in an earlier pool stage encounter. Determined to seek revenge, Shujaa held a 12-7 lead at halftime but ultimately let it slip away, resulting in the final score of 19-12.

Kenya scored two tries against New Zealand through Patrick Odongo and Vincent Onyala, but it was not enough, as New Zealand outperformed them with three tries from Regan Ware, Frank Vaenuku, and Dan Colier, securing the victory and claiming 9th place while Kenya settled for 10th.

The results left Kenya with just three points from the tournament after a series of mixed outcomes. They suffered losses of 29-14 to New Zealand and 21-14 to Fiji before managing a 19-5 victory over Uruguay and a 26-21 win against the USA in the 9th place semifinal.

As it stands, Shujaa is now placed 9th in the overall standings of the 2025 HSBC 7s series with a total of 14 points after three rounds.

Looking ahead, Kenya 7s will shift their focus to the fourth round – the Vancouver Sevens, scheduled for February 21-23, 2025, at BC Place Stadium in Canada. They will compete in Pool A alongside Argentina, France, and Great Britain.

Shujaa Perth 7s Results and Fixtures:

* Kenya 14 – 29 New Zealand

* Kenya 14 – 21 Fiji

* Kenya 19 – 05 Uruguay

9th Place Semifinal:

* Kenya 26 – 21 USA

9th Place Final:

* Kenya 12 – 19 New Zealand