Kenya Sevens edge Great Britain to reach second straight Cup quarterfinal
.jpg)
Reading Time: 2min | Sat. 30.05.26. | 15:26
Shujaa will now shift focus to the knockout stages as they chase a strong finish in Valladolid and aim to cap their World Championship campaign on a high
Kenya Sevens booked their place in the Cup quarterfinals for the second consecutive tournament after edging Great Britain 12-7 at the ongoing HSBC SVNS World Championship in Valladolid, Spain, on Saturday, 30 May.
Download our Mozzart Sport app for more news
The victory saw Kenya progress as one of the best third-placed teams following a determined showing in the pool stages, keeping alive their hopes of a deep run in the season-ending tournament.
Knowing that only a win would strengthen their chances of qualification, Shujaa made a bright start and struck first through Festus Shiasi, who crossed over early to hand the Kenyans a 5-0 lead.
Great Britain responded strongly and turned the game around through Charlton Kerr. The speedster sliced through the Kenyan defence with a darting run before Roan Frostwick added the extras to give the Europeans a 7-5 advantage.
Kenya had an opportunity to regain the lead before the break, but Shiasi knocked on in the final play of the first half, allowing Great Britain to head into halftime with a slender two-point cushion.
Shujaa responded immediately after the restart. A slick move involving Samuel Asati Nyangila and Vincent Onyala created space for Patrick Odongo, who powered over for the decisive try as Kenya reclaimed the lead at 12-7.
.jpg)
Great Britain’s hopes of mounting a comeback suffered a major blow midway through the second half when they were reduced to six players following a yellow card.
Despite enjoying a numerical advantage, Kenya were unable to extend their lead as Great Britain defended resolutely. However, Shujaa remained composed in the closing stages and produced a crucial turnover to deny their opponents a late opportunity and seal the hard-fought victory.
The result continues Kenya’s encouraging form on the SVNS circuit and marks a second successive Cup quarterfinal appearance, underlining the team’s growing consistency against top-tier opposition.
Shujaa will now shift focus to the knockout stages as they chase a strong finish in Valladolid and aim to cap their World Championship campaign on a high.