HSBC SVNS: Kenya Sevens annihilate Belgium as Lionesses stumble against China

The national men’s rugby sevens side, Kenya Sevens, maintained their impressive start in the HSBC SVNS Division 2 with a dominant 33–0 victory over Belgium, while the Lionesses fell just short in a spirited 15–12 loss to China in the round two fixtures played on Saturday, 14 February at the Nyayo National Stadium.

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Kevin Wambua’s charges came into the clash buoyed by a 29–12 win over Canada in their opener and showed no signs of slowing down, delivering a commanding performance to register their second win of the day.

The Lionesses, meanwhile, struggled to find rhythm early in their fixture despite entering the tie on the back of a 15–12 triumph over Brazil.

HSBC SVNS 2: Shujaa, Lionesses off to brilliant starts

Lionesses vs China

Kenya endured a difficult start as China capitalised on a kickoff error to cross over for an early unconverted try.

A Chinese infringement briefly handed possession back to Kenya, but a sluggish phase of play and handling lapses, including slow ruck speed, saw the opportunity slip away.

China punished the mistakes in the third minute, stretching their lead with a second try as the Lionesses appeared out of sync and unable to exit their own half.

Play was briefly halted as Grace Adhiambo received treatment, with Marvel Oswago coming on for her debut.

Kenya continued to struggle territorially and conceded again just before halftime when China converted sustained pressure into a third try.

The conversion attempt missed the target, but China still carried a comfortable 15–0 lead into the break.

In the second half, Naomi Amuguni and Sinaida Mokaya made way for Moreen Muritu and Edith Nariaka as Kenya sought renewed energy.

Though still slow at the ruck, the Lionesses found life late on.

Freshia Oduor crossed the whitewash in the closing minutes, and the successful conversion cut the deficit to eight points.

Adhiambo then lifted the home crowd in added time with a dazzling try, but her missed conversion saw the Lionesses fall just three points short at the final whistle.

Shujaa vs Belgium

Shujaa wasted little time asserting control against Belgium, with strong defensive work, particularly from Wekesa, setting the tone.

Sustained pressure forced Belgian infringements, allowing Nygel Amaitsa to open the scoring before adding the conversion for an early advantage.

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Belgium attempted to regroup, but Amaitsa’s defensive efforts again halted their momentum. Following a brief stoppage for medical attention to a Belgian player, Shujaa resumed their dominance.

Chrissant Ojwang delivered a brilliant solo effort for his second try of the tournament, and the conversion sailed through.

Vincent Onyala added another try soon after, though the conversion drifted wide. Patrick Odongo then crossed for his third try of the tournament, with Amaitsa converting to give Kenya a commanding 26–0 halftime cushion.

In the second half, Dennis Abukuse and Floyd Wabwire came on for Odongo and Ooro. Wabwire made an immediate impact, slicing through the defense to score, and the successful conversion sealed the emphatic 33–0 win.

Shujaa will return to action later in the day against Germany at 4:54 pm, while the Lionesses will be keen to bounce back when they face Argentina at 3:48 pm.