KCB RFC playmaker Vincent Onyala appointed Kenya 7s captain

Kenya 7s national team, Shujaa, head coach Kevin Mwema has appointed KCB Rugby Club speedster Vincent Onyala to lead the side as they sharpen claws ahead of the much-anticipated Africa Men’s 7s set for September 16-17 in Harare, Zimbabwe.

Onyala replaces former captain Nelson Oyoo. He will be assisted by Tonny Omondi of Mwamba RFC.

The Kenya 7s international has been instrumental in KCB Rugby’s impressive run this season. The side won the 2023 Christie 7s to see them climb to second on the log with 78 points, two points behind log leaders Kabras Sugar RFC.

He was also key in Shujaa performance in the opening leg of the 2022/23 HSBC World 7s Series; Hong Kong 7s, before sustaining an injury that put him on the sidelines for seven months.

The winger went on to miss the Dubai, Cape Town, Hamilton, Sydney, Los Angeles, Vancouver, Singapore, and Toulouse 7s tournaments.

He made a comeback during the Dala 7s tournament played on July 1 and 2 at the Jomo Kenyatta Stadium in Kisumu where he propelled KCB Rugby to win the coveted title after hitting Kabras RFC 17-5.

KRU name squad for Rugby Africa 7s

Shujaa are currently in the camp preparing for the Rugby Africa Sevens, with the final squad set to be announced soon. Kenya has been placed in Pool A that sees them tackle Madagascar, Tunisia, and Ivory Coast.

One strong opponent that Kenya 7s could meet in the event they top the pool is South Africa. Both Kenya and South Africa failed to secure direct tickets to the Paris 2024 Olympics after finishing outside the top four in the recently concluded season.

Despite that, Onyala remains unfazed, noting that the boys were ready to stage a show against their African counterparts come September.

“South Africa playing the Africa 7s means that they could not hold their weight as much as they are supposed to for them to get automatic qualification. Now, when we come here, this is our turf so we are not going to give them an easy task. If we meet in the finals, they should be prepared but this game can go either way,” he explained.

The Africa Men’s 7s tournament will see twelve teams battling it out in a bid to qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympics in Paris.

Rugby Africa Sevens Pools

Pool A: South Africa, Madagascar, Tunisia and Ivory Coast

Pool B: Kenya Sevens, Zambia, Namibia and Nigeria

Pool C: Uganda, Zimbabwe , Burkina Faso and Algeria

Kenya Sevens Playing Schedule at the 2023 Rugby Africa Sevens

Played from 16th to 17th September 2023 in Harare, Zimbabwe

Playing Schedule

16th September 2023

Kenya Sevens vs Nigeria - 11:08 AM

Kenya Sevens vs Namibia - 3:50 PM

Kenya Sevens vs Zambia - 4:34 PM