Fans of the Kenya Sevens team had high hopes for the team to perform well at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. However, the team’s aspirations were dashed after losing to Argentina 31–12, Australia humiliating them 21–7, and Samoa defeating them 26-0–7 in Pool “B” play.
In the 12-team competition held at Stade de France from July 24-27, coach Kevin “Bling” Wambua’s squad came in ninth place.
They had defeated Uruguay 19-14 in the play-off for ninth to 12th places, and then defeated Samoa 10-5 in the ninth place final.
What will happen to Shujaa now that he’s qualified for the Olympics in Paris following his historic sixth Africa Men’s Sevens victory last year? Associated Before announcing a provisional selection for the October 11–13 Safari Sevens competition in Nairobi, Wambua indicated on Friday that he was keeping an eye on a few players participating in the National Rugby Sevens Circuit and evaluating his squad.
Before we can announce a team for the Safari Sevens competition, Wambua stated yesterday that “we are monitoring several players in the National Rugby Sevens Circuit.”
“Kenya Sevens players’ contracts have expired, and it is unknown how many will be signed for the upcoming season.”
Star George Ooro of Shujaa and the Strathmore Leos said to Nation Sport, “Right now, we are working on our muscles and making certain decisions concerning our games as well as getting ready for Dubai Sevens and Cape Town Sevens at the end of this year.”
Vincent Onyala, Shujaa’s co-captain, observed that the boys’ experience representing Kenya in the Olympic Games in Paris was extraordinary. The KCB RFC back added, “It was a very wonderful privilege to play and represent your country in a stadium full of people.”
“The outcomes were not what we had hoped for, but we persevered,” he continued.
Sevens rugby is a very competitive sport, particularly on a global scale where opponents frequently, if not always, take advantage of a team’s setup errors to score points.
According to Onyala, Shujaa was “baptised by fire” by world-class teams, such as Argentina, the 2023–2024 World Rugby Sevens Series champions.
Onyala said, “It now comes down to the particular goals of each player for the World Series, and strategies of the coaching staff.”
Louis Kisia, the assistant coach for Shujaa, stated that as long as they gave it their all, the Paris trip was fine. “Scoring tenth was a major deal, especially considering our inexperienced team. In order to strengthen the national squad ahead of the Safari Sevens, we intend to rest before players join their clubs for the national circuit, where we will be able to see more talent,” Kisia stated. According to Kisia, the coaches watched games from the SportPesa National Sevens Rugby Circuit, namely the Dala Sevens, Christie Sevens, and “Ingoo Sevens.”
Shujaa will play in the World Rugby Sevens Series, which begins with the Dubai Sevens on November 29–December 1 following the international competition Safari Sevens, which took place from October 11–13.
in the Emirates, United Arab Emirates. The Cape Town Sevens in South Africa on December 7-8 will come after this.
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