The Kenya men’s national rugby sevens team, popularly known as Shujaa, sits at ninth place on the World Rugby Sevens Series leaderboard, with 11 points amassed after the Dubai and Cape Town legs of the competition.
Fiji are in the lead with 36 points followed by Spain with 32 points and in the third place is France with 30 same as South Africa how came in fourth.
Cape Town Sevens Performance
On December 8, 2024, Shujaa claimed 7th place in the Cape Town Sevens with an emphatic 32-17 victory over Great Britain in the playoff match. Despite this triumph, the team fell short of advancing further after losing 26-14 to Argentina in the 5th place playoff.
The tournament saw Shujaa demonstrate resilience and determination, bouncing back from a tough loss to secure maximum points in the playoff against Great Britain.
Dubai Sevens Recap
In the first leg of the 2024/2025 World Rugby Sevens Series held in Dubai, Shujaa finished in 10th place. Their campaign ended with a 15-07 loss to Uruguay in the 9th place finals on December 1, 2024, at the Sevens Stadium.
The match against Uruguay saw Shujaa struggle to find their footing:
- Ignacio Facciolo opened the scoring for Uruguay, followed by Vinals Mateo, giving Uruguay a 10-00 lead at halftime.
- In the second half, Tomas Etcheverry capitalized on Shujaa’s errors, extending Uruguay’s lead to 15-00.
- Kenya managed a consolation try through Captain George Ooro, converted by Samuel Asati, but it was not enough to overturn the deficit.
Dubai Pool Stage Matches
In the pool stage, Shujaa recorded mixed results:
- Kenya 19–24 France: A narrow loss in their opening match.
- Kenya 22–17 South Africa: A thrilling victory over the Blitzboks.
- Kenya 14–31 Australia: A tough defeat in their final pool game.
Overall, Shujaa managed two wins and three losses in Dubai.
What’s Next for Shujaa?
With their 7th place finish in Cape Town and 10th place in Dubai, Shujaa has shown glimpses of potential but will need more consistency to climb higher in the World Rugby Sevens Series standings. As the series progresses, the team will aim to improve their finishing and minimize errors to compete against top-tier teams.
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