When the Kenya 7s team was relegated from the prestigious global event in May 21, 2023, after narrowly losing 12-5 to Canada in the relegation playoffs final at Twickenham Stadium in London, few imagined the team would make a swift return to the World Rugby HSBC Sevens Series. The path back seemed daunting.
However, the Kenya Rugby Football Union (KRFU) took the opportunity to reflect and return to the drawing board, initiating a serious rebuild under new coach Ken Wambua. The results of this effort were almost immediate. With an inexperienced side, Kenya headed to the Africa 7s Championship in Harare, Zimbabwe. To the country’s surprise, a new star, Patrick Odongo, alongside five other debutants, inspired the Kenya Sevens to a 17-12 victory over South Africa’s Blitzboks, winning the Rugby Africa Sevens title.
This Africa 7s title not only qualified Kenya for the Paris 2024 Olympics but also secured them a spot in the Series Challenger, a pathway back to the HSBC World Sevens Series.
In the Series Challenger tournaments held in Dubai, Montevideo, and Germany, Kenya 7s, also known as Shujaa, replicated their impressive form from the African Championship. They won the Dubai tournament, finished third in Montevideo, Uruguay, and placed second in Germany.
The top four teams from these tournaments secured places in the new promotion and relegation playoff competition against the teams ranked ninth to twelfth from the HSBC Sevens Series 2024.
Shujaa finished second behind Uruguay in the Challenger Series, securing a spot at the SVNS Grand Final in Madrid. Eight nations will participate in the 2024 HSBC Sevens Series promotion/relegation playoff.
Kenya is placed in Pool B alongside Chile, Samoa, and Spain. Notably, Kenya has not beaten Samoa since December 2019, having lost eight consecutive matches against the 2009-10 series champions. However, they are keen to make a statement as they attempt to regain their place at the top tier.
Shujaa will be seeking to return to the world’s biggest stage in the tournament scheduled to be held between May 31 and June 1 at the Civitas Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid. The competition format involves two pools of four teams to decide matchups for the crucial playoff matches on Sunday. The winners of these four cross-over matches will secure their place in the HSBC Sevens Series 2025, while the losing teams will enter the regional qualification pathway for the World Rugby HSBC Sevens Challenger 2025.
Shujaa’s final push for qualification to the 2025 World Rugby Sevens Series Fixture
