Meet the team that returned Kenya back to HSBC World Rugby 7s Series
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Reading Time: 8min | Sun. 16.06.24. | 14:27
Mozzart Sport gives you a sneak peak of who these history-makers are
June 2, 2024 will forever remain in the minds of rugby faithfuls.
It was the day that Shujaa made a remarkable return to the HSBC World Rugby 7s Series after a year in the cold.
Mozzart Sport gives you a sneak peak of who these history-makers are and more details you would be interested to know about the players.
Vincent Onyala – KCB Rugby
Onyala captained the team during the Challenger Series.
At just 27, Onyala is one of the most experienced players in a side filled with talented but rookie youngsters, having been part of the team for six years ever since making his debut back in 2018.
Onyala experienced his first tour and tournament at the 2018 Toulouse tournament, and has gone on to play alot for the side, including representing them at the Tokyo Olympic games back in 2021.
He also represented the side at the Rugby World Cup Sevens in Cape Town in 2022, and was lucky enough to be one of the few players in the current squad that managed to play with some of the golden generation of players including Collins Injera
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Tony Omondi - Mwamba RFC
Together with Onyala, the two co-captained the team to greatness. His decision-making skills, accurate kicks, and impressive leadership skills make him a perfect fit for the team. He plays center/scrum half position.
Coach Kevin Wambua has praised their leadership skills on several circumstances, noting that it was key in their promotion.
Kevin Wekesa - Kabras RFC
He is fondly known as Yokooh. He has been an instrumental player whose growth over the years is undeniable.
Yokooh dons jersey number six and he wears it perfectly. He is on the perfect route towards playing like the former number six jersey bearer, Humprey Kayange.
“I am proud of Wekesa. He wears my number six jersey. Maybe it is something to do with the number six jersey. The captain Vincent Onyala is also great. I am excited to see how they grow into their roles and be more confident in what they achieve,” Kayange told Mozzart Sport on one occasion.
John Okoth – Nakuru RFC
Okoth is the kind of player that can turn a game on its head.
In 2019, only months after sitting his national exams at Nakuru Day High School, Okoth was already the vice-captain of Nakuru RFC’s second-string side for the 2018/2019 Eric Shirley Shield season, made it to the Chipu squad and to cap it all off, he made his Kenya Simbas bow in the Elgon Cup against Uganda in Kisumu.
His midfield prowess and ability to make the best out of his partners was too much to miss out on for any coach. He was dropped from the Chipu squad that won the Barthes Cup at KCB Ruaraka grounds but he made it to the squad that went to Brazil for the Junior World Trophy.
In Brazil, Okoth donned the number 12 jersey and went on to start every single game for the Paul Odera-coached outfit.
The Kenya Simbas number 12 jersey has been won by very iconic and prolific names in the game over the years, the likes of Kelvin “Kichwa” Omiyo, Nick Barasa, Leo Seje and lately, Darwin Mukidza.
He is a gentle beast, and his electric moves after scoring tries makes it impossible not to identify him.
Brian Tanga - Kabras RFC
Tanga is a jack of all trades but a master at scrum half. He is passionately known as a rugby magician for his prowess on the pitch. He ditched volleyball for rugby in 2011 and played for Western Vampires (now Borderrucks).
He is an old hand at Kabras, having been part of the team that started from the nationwide league all the way to dominating the Kenya Cup and Enterprise Cup leagues.
George Ooro – Strathmore Leos
His name probably arises sweet memories in your mind.
He is known for his electric moves and contagious energy.
The Strathmore forward debuted for Kenya 7s during the Hong Kong 7s under former coach Damian McGrath.
His impressive performance on the international stage saw coach Wambua include him in his Africa Men’s 7s provisional squad, eventually traveling to Harare, Zimbabwe, where Kenya qualified for the Paris 2024 Olympics.
He also captained Team Kenya during the All-African Games in Accra, Ghana.
Patrick Odongo – Daystar Falcons
Odongo has become a force to be reckoned with in Kenya Rugby for his speed.
He first touched the odd-shaped ball during his high school days at Agoro Sare which is not known for its rugby prowess. Unlike most players, the winger was not the heaviest player around, but his speed was his top secret.
At the age of 19 years, he got an invite to try out at Shujaa where he trained alongside the senior members of the former Kenya 7s squad including his role model Nelson Oyoo who was the former Shujaa captain.
This year, his prayers were answered and he made the national team at just 20 years old.
He was key in Kenya's unbeaten run in Zimbabwe last year as they qualified for the Olympics.
What made his performance even more heartwarming was that he had lost his mother Sophia Atieno Ogak just before the tournament on September 9. Despite that, he braved the odds and traveled with the squad.
Samuel Asati – KCB Rugby
Asati is undoubtedly the heart of Kenya’s scrum.
The KCB RFC scrum-half tops the decorated list of Kenya’s scrum-halves including Brian Tanga of Kabras, Brian Wahinya (KCB), Barry Robinson (Kabras), Michael Wanjala (KCB), and former Kenya Simbas Captain Samson Onsomu of Menengai Oilers.
What sets him apart is that he understands innately the game, having played age-grade rugby through the Shamas Rugby Foundation.
In 2018, Asati was part of the Kenya U20 team that played in the 2018 Barthes Cup. On that day, Saturday 31 March 2018, Chipu lost 37-18 against Namibia in the finals played at Windhoek’s Hage Geingob Stadium.
That year saw him bump his status up to one of the most important players of his generation. This was after he won the Eric Shirley Shield Cup with KCB Rugby after beating Impala Boks 21-17 in the highly contested finals. What capped an interesting year for the scrum wizard was being named the 2018 Prinsloo 7s Most Promising Player.
The youngster’s first match with the Simbas was against Zambia during the 2019 Victoria Cup at the RFUEA Grounds where Kenya won 31-16. He was also part of the squad that lost 20-19 against Senegal during the 2021 Rugby Africa Cup at Nyayo Stadium in September.
Herman Humwa – Kenya Harlequin
He is one of the familiar faces retained by coach Wambua. He brings a wealth of experience and vast knowledge to the team and was instrumental in propelling them to success. He is an alumni of Koelel Forces.
Nygel Amaitsa – Strathmore Leos
He is an alumnus of Musingu High School.
He made his debut with the team during the Olympics qualifiers in September 2023.
Amaitsa went on to score a hat-trick of tries as Kenya beat Nigeria 34-10 in opening duel of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games that doubled up as the Africa Cup Sevens. He scored a try in their last pool victory against Zambia 38-12 after beating Namibia 50-0.
Amaitsa would score a try as Kenya bundled out Zimbabwe 33-10 in the semi-finals on their way to stunning South Africa 17-12 in the final. He was also in the squad that beat Samurai 19-0 to retain the Safari Sevens title.
Though Amaitsa joined Machakos University in 2021, he played for Western Bulls upon completing High School in 2019. He left Machakos University in January this year when he joined Strathmore University as an IT student.
Lamec Ambetsa – Kabras RFC
He earned a scholarship at Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology (MMUST) Rugby thanks to his prowess on the pitch when Bungoma RFC faced MMUST in a nationwide competition. His performance caught the eye of the MMUST rugby team, leading to a successful trial and a scholarship to study Civil Engineering.
He made his debut for MMUST in a home match against Eldoret RFC. In the 2020 Championship season, MMUST earned promotion to the Kenya Cup, with Ambetsa contributing significantly to their semifinal victory over Mean Machine.
In 2021, he made his Kenya Cup debut against Kabras RFC, scoring his first try against Mwamba RFC. His impressive performances for MMUST did not go unnoticed, and he received an offer to join Kabras RFC in 2022 after graduating.
Ambetsa’s dedication paid off immediately. He cemented his position in the Sugar Millers' starting team, and his impressive run in both the sevens and fifteens versions of the game saw him win two back-to-back Kenya Cup titles and numerous seven circuits.
He stands out as a player who hasn't lost a single match with Kabras. With it came a call-up to the Kenya sevens national team, 'Shujaa.'
Chrissant Ojwang – Nakuru RFC
Since making his debut for the national team, Ojwang has proved that Nakuru is rich with talent. He first turned up for Shujaa during the Montevideo Challenger series where he scored the saving try for the team in the first match.
That performance made him a regular player and has since risen to be one valuable player. During the HSBC 7s playoff against Germany, he was yellow carded but came back to the pitch to score a try that silenced the opponents.
Brian Mutua – Mwamba RFC
Mutua was snapped up from Homeboyz RFC during the June transfer window. He was roped in alongside Brian Ayimba to help propel the Blackmen to success. He latter made his debut during Dala 7s on July 1 and 2, a moment that was supposed to be memorable in his rugby career, but he was injured.
He returned to action during Christie 7s and to the surprise of many, he touched down five times.
As if that wasn't enough, during the Tisap 7s, he scored an impressive 9 tries, not forgetting a quarter finals hat trick against Kabras that saw his team break the jinx to qualify for semis.
His remarkable comeback became the talk of the tournament, earning him accolades from fans and fellow players alike,the most notable one being named the Tisap 7s top try scorer.
He went on to score three tries in the last circuit, Kabeberi 7s where again injury cut shot his performance,when was stretched out of the field of play in day one of Kabeberi when playing against Kabras RFC, bringing his total tally to 17 tries.
Technical bench
The team was coached by Wambua, while former Strathmore Leos coach Louis was handed the assistant coach roles.
Steve Sewe was given the team manager task with Lameck Bogonko retaining his position as the team’s physio.
Former Kenya 7s skipper Andrew Amonde was mandated to handle the strength and conditioning department.
Chris Brown came in as the consultant S $ C coach while Eric Ogweno was named the team liaison.
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