Kenya: Kenya’s national rugby sevens team, ‘Shujaa,’ battled fiercely against a highly competitive field to finish eighth at the second leg of the HSBC SVNS Championship, held from 29th to 31st May, 2026, at the Estadio Jos© Zorrilla in Valladolid, Spain.
According to Kenya News Agency, Shujaa’s campaign at Valladolid got off to a difficult start. Drawn in a challenging Pool ‘A’ alongside Australia, Great Britain, and South Africa, Kenya entered the tournament seeking revenge against Australia, following their 14-5 defeat in Hong Kong; instead, they suffered another heartbreak, falling 15-10 to the Australians in their opening match on Friday.
Australia struck first in the second minute when Henry Hutchison crossed over for an unconverted try. Kenya responded through Patrick Odongo, but Pettersan Amaitsa was unable to add the extras. Just before halftime, Dietrich Roache restored Australia’s advantage with another unconverted try, giving his side a 10-5 lead at the break.
Kenya came out fighting in the second half, and co-captain Samuel Asati ignited celebrations among the supporters in the 11th minute with a brilliant try from a scrum. Denis Abukuse’s missed conversion left the scores level, which would ultimately prove costly. With neither side able to break the deadlock in regulation time, the contest headed into extra time. Despite fresh legs from both benches, Kenya struggled with discipline as penalties began to pile up. Australia capitalized on the pressure and delivered the decisive blow with a match-winning try that handed the Kenyans a painful opening defeat in Valladolid.
The Spanish leg was turning into a nightmare for Kenya Shujaa. Determined to erase the painful memories of their heartbreaking quarterfinal defeat to South Africa in Hong Kong, the Kenyans hoped for redemption. Instead, they were met by a ruthless Blitzboks side that showcased its class from the opening whistle, condemning Shujaa to a 14-0 defeat. South Africa stamped their authority on the contest when Shilton van Wyk brilliantly intercepted a pass intended for Denis Abukuse and raced away for the opening try. Tristan Leyds calmly added the conversion to hand the Blitzboks an early 7-0 advantage.
Stung by the setback, Kenya searched desperately for a breakthrough but ran into a brick wall. Despite both teams introducing fresh boots from the bench, the scoreboard remained unchanged for much of the contest. The turning point came in the 13th minute when Abukuse was shown a yellow card and sent to the sin bin. South Africa capitalized on their numerical advantage, with Sebastian Jobb powering over for the second try. Ricardo Duarttee added the extras to stretch the lead to 14-0, effectively putting the contest beyond Kenya’s reach.
Facing a must-win clash in Pool ‘A’, Kenya rose to the occasion with a hard-fought 12-7 victory over Great Britain to keep their campaign alive. Shujaa struck first through Festus Shiasi Safari, who powered over for the opening try. However, Pettersan Amaitsa was unable to add the extras, leaving Kenya with a slender 5-0 advantage. Great Britain responded swiftly, with Charlton Kerr touching down before Roan Frostwick converted to hand the Europeans a 7-5 lead heading into the halftime break.
Kenya emerged from the interval with renewed intensity and quickly reclaimed control. Speedster Patrick Odongo powered over for the decisive try, while David Nyagige’s successful conversion stretched Shujaa’s lead to 12-7. Great Britain threw everything at the Kenyan defense in the closing stages, but Shujaa’s resilience proved unshakable as they produced a disciplined defensive display to repel wave after wave of attacks.
Under the guidance of Head Coach Kevin ‘Bling’ Wambua, Shujaa returned home with a mission: to raise the bar in the second leg of the series. Determined to bounce back stronger as a core team, the national sevens side intensified preparations with a rigorous 10-day training camp at Kasarani. Wambua injected fresh energy into the squad, handing a chance to promising youngster Victor Odhiambo. The squad was further boosted by the return of speedster Patrick Odongo and dynamic playmaker Chrissant Ojwang.
Despite suffering defeats in their opening two pool matches, Kenya 7s remained in contention, edging their rivals on qualification criteria to secure a place in the knockout rounds. Their crucial victory over Great Britain proved decisive, earning Shujaa a spot in the Cup quarter-finals as the lowest-seeded qualifier rather than a pool winner.
However, Kenya’s hopes of a deep run in Valladolid came to a halt against Australia in the quarter-finals. Shujaa endured their heaviest defeat of the tournament, falling 21-0 to the Aussies in a one-sided encounter. Australia stamped their authority from the outset, running in three converted tries to complete a dominant performance. Maurice Longbottom was the star, crossing the try line twice and adding all three conversions, while Ben Dowling also touched down.
Kenya’s quest for seventh place ended in disappointment as Shujaa fell to France in a rematch of the seventh-place playoff from the Hong Kong Sevens. Determined to avoid a repeat of the mistakes they made in Hong Kong, the French dominated the opening half in style. The Europeans raced to a 14-0 lead through two tries from Enahemo Artaud. Successful conversions by Maxim Granell and Paulin Riva further strengthened France’s advantage.
Shujaa found a lifeline just before the halftime break when John Okoth Okeyo crossed over for an unconverted try, reducing the deficit and keeping Kenya in the contest. The second half saw Kenya pile on the pressure in search of a comeback, but the French defense stood firm. Despite Shujaa’s relentless efforts, France held on until the final whistle to secure victory and claim seventh place.
The result placed Kenya eighth in the tournament with six points, bringing their overall HSBC SVNS Championship tally to 14 points. Shujaa now trails a group of top-ranked teams that includes Australia, South Africa, Argentina, Fiji, New Zealand, Spain, and France.
On the women’s side, Australia, the United States, and New Zealand emerged as the leading teams in the standings following the Spanish leg of the HSBC SVNS Championship. All roads lead to Bordeaux, France, from 5th -7th June 2026 as the curtain falls on the HSBC SVNS Championship season. The final stop of the global series promises high-stakes action, with teams battling not only for silverware but also for their future on the world stage.
