Shujaa Endures Tough Outing in Vancouver, Maintains 9th Position in HSBC Series
Kenya’s national sevens team, Shujaa, faced a challenging weekend at the fourth leg of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series in Vancouver, Canada. The team struggled, losing all their matches from the pool stages to the playoffs, ultimately finishing 12th in the tournament standings. Despite the setbacks, Shujaa remains in 9th place overall with 15 points.
Pool Stage Battles Shujaa kicked off their campaign with a tough match against Argentina, succumbing to a 24-0 defeat. The South Americans displayed sharp attacking plays and solid defense, keeping Kenya scoreless in the opener.
In their second pool match, Shujaa took on France. While they managed to put 7 points on the board, they could not hold off the French attack, losing 33-7.
The final pool game saw Shujaa face Great Britain. Kenya put up a stronger fight, managing 10 points, but the British side capitalized on key moments to seal a 28-10 victory.
Playoff Heartbreak In the 9th place semifinal, Shujaa found themselves in a tightly contested match against Uruguay. The encounter was marked by determined runs and gritty tackles from both sides. However, Uruguay edged out a narrow 19-14 win, pushing Shujaa into the 11th place playoff.
The final match of the weekend against Ireland was another hard-fought contest, but Kenya fell short once more 19-14, concluding their Vancouver campaign with a 12th-place finish.
Looking Ahead Despite the winless run in Vancouver, Shujaa holds onto 9th place in the overall standings with 15 points. The team will look to regroup and refocus as they prepare for the fifth leg of the series, scheduled for March 28th to 30th. Kenya is pooled against Spain, Great Britain, and France.
