Details of Kenya Sevens training camp in South Africa
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Reading Time: 3min | Wed. 14.01.26. | 20:22
For Wambua, regular exposure to high-intensity environments will help close the gap between Shujaa and their global rivals
The Kenya Sevens national team, Shujaa, departed for South Africa on Monday, 12 January, for a week-long high-performance training camp as they step up preparations for the 2026 SVNS Division 2 series.
The camp forms a critical part of Shujaa’s build-up to the opening leg of the Division 2 circuit, which Kenya will host for the first time in history from Saturday, 14 to Sunday, 15 February at the Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi.
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Following the Nairobi leg, the six-team Division 2 series will move to Montevideo, Uruguay (March 21–22) before concluding in São Paulo, Brazil (March 28–29).
Each tournament will feature six teams per gender, with the top four advancing to the SVNS World Championship.
From the combined 12 teams at the championship stage, the top eight will earn promotion to Division 1 status for the 2027 SVNS season, setting a clear pathway back to the elite tier for Shujaa.
Both the men’s team and the Kenya Lionesses will compete in SVNS Division 2 in 2026. Confirmed men’s teams include Kenya, USA, Uruguay, and Germany.
Why South Africa?
Speaking in a past interview with Mozzart Sport, Kenya Sevens head coach Kevin Wambua explained the rationale behind choosing South Africa as the base for the training camp.
“We are planning to head to South Africa for a high-performance camp and a few training matches. If we do not do that, by the time we go into SVNS 2, other teams will have already played two tournaments.
We must get the same level of game time so that when we meet at the championship, we wil be there to compete, not just to participate,” he said.
South Africa has become an increasingly important development hub for Kenyan rugby.
Several local based players, including Kabras RFC’s Jackson Siketa, Kisumu’s David Williams, Impala’s Andrew Matoka, and Mwamba’s Dennis Ndayala, have previously sharpened their skills through the Rhinos’ high-performance camp in Cape Town.
Overseas-based players such as Collins Shikoli and Alvin Marube have also benefited from similar programs in the country.
The approach mirrors a recent strategy used by the Kenya Simbas, who trained in South Africa ahead of the Rugby Africa Cup, the qualifier for the 2027 Rugby World Cup.
For Wambua, regular exposure to high-intensity environments will help close the gap between Shujaa and their global rivals.
New SVNS reality
Shujaa were officially relegated from the HSBC SVNS following a major structural shake-up confirmed by World Rugby on Thursday, 1 May 2025.
The new competition model reduced the number of core teams from 12 to eight per gender, significantly reshaping the global rugby sevens landscape.
The SVNS Division 2 pathway now offers Kenya a clear but demanding route back to the top tier.
Shujaa squad in South Africa
Floyd Wabwire, Patrick Odongo, George Ooro, Gabriel Ayimba, Vincent Onyala, Nygel Amaitsa, Victor Mola, Elvis Olukusi, John Okoth, Kevin Wekesa, Samuel Asati, Chrisant Ojwang, Eugene Ojiambo, Jackson Siketi, Clinton Amukwachi, Daniel Kipchirchir, Festus Shiasi, and Denis Abukuse.
