Kenya 7s learn opponents ahead of Rugby Africa Men’s Sevens Tournament
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Reading Time: 2min | Tue. 25.06.24. | 17:10
They have been placed in Pool A alongside Nigeria, Madagascar, and hosts Mauritius
The pools for the first round of the 2024 Rugby Africa Men’s 7s have been announced, with Kenya 7s seeded at the top for the event scheduled to take place in Port-Louis, Mauritius, from June 29-30.
This year’s African Men’s 7s will span two weekends, with the team accumulating the highest points being crowned champions.
Kenya are the defending champions after defeating South Africa 17-12 in the 2023 edition held in Harare, Zimbabwe. That saw them qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympics.
They have been placed in Pool A alongside Nigeria, Madagascar, and hosts Mauritius.
In Pool B, the 2022 Champions Uganda 7s will face Burkina Faso, Tunisia, and Ivory Coast.
Uganda enters the event after narrowly missing an Olympic ticket following a quarterfinal loss to eventual winners South Africa. Earlier this year, Uganda clinched the All-African Rugby 7s title with a flawless record.
Zimbabwe Cheetahs are in Pool C, where they will compete against neighbors Zambia, Ghana, and Algeria.
For the first time in history, the Rugby Africa Men’s 7s tournament will be played in two rounds. The second leg will be played from July 6-7. Twelve African nations will compete in both rounds, with the overall winner determined by the points accumulated across the two rounds.
Teams’ finishing positions after the knockout phase will earn ranking points, which will be used for seeding in the second round's pool draw.
The top two ranked teams after both rounds will qualify for the 2025 World Rugby 7s Challenger Series.
Due to the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympics, Kenya will be represented by Morans which serves as a feeder to the national team; Shujaa.
In an exclusive with Mozzart Sport, Kenya Rugby Union (KRU) Chairman Sasha Mutai noted that Shujaa are already in the camp preparing for the Olympics and the Mauritius event will collide with their program. They reported to the camp 10 days after their triumph in Madrid.
“Mauritius doesn't fit in our training plan for the Olympics so we give the fringe players in Shujaa some tournament time which works in our programme to strengthen. They train together,” Mutai offered.
AFRICA MEN’S 7S POOLS
Pool A: Kenya, Nigeria, Madagascar, Mauritius.
Pool B: Uganda, Burkina Faso, Tunisia, Cote d’Ivoire.
Pool C: Zimbabwe, Zambia, Ghana, Algeria.
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