Shujaa’s HSBC World Series Journey So Far
Kenya Sevens, Shujaa, have been on a determined journey since returning to the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series following their relegation and subsequent promotion. As the team progresses through the 2024/25 season, their performances have shown resilience, growth, and a strong competitive edge.
Shujaa kicked off their campaign in Dubai, finishing 10th after a 15-7 loss to Uruguay in the 9th-place playoff. This result earned them 3 points. Moving to Cape Town, the team showed significant improvement, securing a 7th-place finish with a 32-17 victory over Great Britain in the playoff. This added 8 points to their tally, elevating them to 9th in the overall standings after the second leg of the season.
The first tournament of 2025 in Perth saw Shujaa finish 10th once again, narrowly losing 19-12 to New Zealand in the 9th place playoff. Despite the setback, they maintained their 9th-place ranking in the overall standings with an additional 3 points.
However, Vancouver proved to be a tough outing for the team, as they finished last after a 19-14 loss to Ireland, securing just 1 point. Despite this disappointment, Shujaa retained their 9th-place position in the rankings, demonstrating their consistency in the fiercely competitive series.
Hong Kong was a bittersweet outing for Shujaa, showing marked improvement from Vancouver. The team finished 10th, losing by the narrowest of margins (19-17) to South Africa. While they did not meet their set goals for the tournament, their competitiveness in every game was evident. Despite the setbacks, the team takes pride in their progress—winning two out of five matches in Hong Kong compared to zero in Vancouver within just three weeks.
“Hong Kong was bittersweet for us. However, there was a big improvement from Vancouver. We did not achieve our set goals for the tournament, but we were competitive in all the games we played. Our three losses were by under seven points, which is something we can build on as we prepare for Singapore and, of course, the big one in LA,” said Head Coach Kevin Wambua.
Looking Ahead: Singapore & LA
Shujaa now shift their focus to Singapore, where they have been pooled against France and Ireland. The priority will be to build on the positives from Hong Kong and push for stronger results. With the ultimate goal of the season being the Playoffs tournament in Los Angeles, every game leading up to it is crucial.
With two tournaments left in the season, and them still ranked 9th, the team remains focused on refining their game, improving their execution under pressure, and backing themselves to deliver strong performances.
