Kenya Sevens speedster Patrick Odongo narrowly misses HSBC SVNS prestigious gong
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Reading Time: 2min | Mon. 05.05.25. | 22:03
Speaking ahead of the tournament, the Daystar University winger admitted he did not even realise he was that close to the top
Kenya Sevens winger Patrick Odongo came close to making history in the 2024/25 HSBC SVNS Series but narrowly missed out on being crowned the top try scorer.
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The fleet-footed speedster finished the season with 22 tries, just four behind Fiji’s Joji Nasova and Argentina’s Marcos Moneta, who shared the top spot with 26 tries each.
On the women’s side, Australia’s Madi Levi was unmatched, scoring 54 tries.
Going into the final leg of the series in Los Angeles, Odongo was in third place with 20 tries.
He scored once in Kenya’s win over Portugal and added another in their 17-12 loss to the USA, ending his season with 22 tries.
Speaking ahead of the tournament, the Daystar University winger admitted he did not even realise he was that close to the top.
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“I only found out I was in the race during the LA tournament. It motivated me a lot,” he said.
If Odongo won the top try scorer award, he would have become only the second Kenyan to do so after Collins Injera, one of the greatest players in the history of rugby sevens.
Injera scored 279 tries in his career and is ranked second in the all-time try scorers behind England’s Dan Norton.
“Being the top scorer would have meant a lot. It would have pushed me to work even harder next season,” Odongo added.
Even without the title, Odongo had a strong debut season. He has become one of the key players in coach Kevin Wambua’s team, using his speed and skill to score many important tries. He is now a household name in World Rugby.
“My first season in the HSBC SVNS has been a success. I’ve learned a lot, and I believe things will get better,” he said.
World Rugby recently changed the SVNS Series format, reducing the number of core teams from 12 to eight. Kenya qualified for the HSBC SVNS Division II and will be looking to work their way up to be among the eight big giants.
Despite what lies ahead, Odongo is optimistic that the team will return to the HSBC SVNS Series in fashion.
“We came to LA with hopes of returning to the core series. Everything else will fall into place,” he concluded.
New Zealand women and South Africa men were crowned HSBC SVNS 2025 champions after securing stirring victories in Los Angeles.
