Kenya Shujaa Finish Third at Nairobi Leg of HSBC SVNS 2 Series

Kenya’s national men’s rugby sevens team, Kenya national rugby sevens team, secured third place in the opening leg of the HSBC SVNS 2 after an impressive campaign at Nyayo National Stadium.

Dubbed the “Valentine’s weekend” tournament, the Nairobi leg saw Shujaa win four out of five matches, thrilling home fans with a series of dominant performances.

Kenya began strongly with a 29-12 victory over Canada national rugby sevens team, scoring five tries. Speedster Patrick Odongo crossed the line twice, while Chrisant Ojwang, Festus Shiasi, and Nigel Amaitsa each added a try, with Amaitsa converting one to seal the win.

Shujaa continued their fine form by crushing Belgium national rugby sevens team 33-0 in a one-sided encounter. Kenya raced to a 26-0 halftime lead through tries by Samuel Asati, Ojwang, Vincent Onyala, and Odongo before Floyd Wabwire added another in the second half to complete the rout.

In one of the tournament’s most dramatic matches, Kenya edged past Germany national rugby sevens team 15-10 in sudden death extra time. Trailing 10-0 at halftime, Shujaa mounted a spirited comeback through tries by Amaitsa and Odongo to level the score, before Shiasi sealed victory with a decisive run following a turnover.

Kenya later ground out a 17-7 win over Uruguay national rugby sevens team, with captain George Ooro leading from the front alongside contributions from John Okoth and Samuel Asati.

However, Shujaa’s unbeaten run was halted by a clinical United States national rugby sevens team side, which secured a 21-7 victory in the final match. Despite the loss, Ooro produced a standout performance, scoring Kenya’s lone try and later being named Player of the Nairobi leg.

Shujaa head coach Kevin Wambua praised the team’s effort, saying the players approached every match with determination to perform in front of the home crowd.

“We gave our best in every game. Playing in Nairobi meant a lot to the team, and the performance provides a strong foundation as we head into the next rounds,” he said.

Meanwhile, Kenya’s women’s side, the Kenya women's national rugby sevens team, endured a mixed campaign. They opened with a dramatic 15-12 comeback win over Brazil women's national rugby sevens team but later suffered narrow defeats to China women's national rugby sevens team, South Africa women's national rugby sevens team, Argentina women's national rugby sevens team, and Spain women's national rugby sevens team.

The results left the Lionesses fifth overall in the women’s standings after a tightly contested pool stage.

As the Nairobi leg concluded, Shujaa moved into third place in the series standings with 12 points, just behind Germany on 13 points and level with the USA.

The competition now shifts to Montevideo on March 21-22 before the final leg in São Paulo on March 28-29, where teams will battle for overall honors in the 2026 HSBC SVNS 2 Series.