T. NashipaeMutai backs Shujaa to secure promotion to World Rugby Sevens Series
Reading Time: 3min | Mon. 29.01.24. | 18:16
The team was relegated from the Series following a 12-7 playoff final loss to Canada at Twickenham Stadium, London on May 21, 2023
Kenya Rugby Union (KRU) Chairman Alexander Sasha Mutai has expressed confidence in Shujaa punching their way back to the HSBC World Rugby 7s Series.
The team was relegated from the Series following a 12-7 playoff final loss to Canada at Twickenham Stadium, London on May 21, 2023.
The defeat meant the Kenyans lost its status as a core team in international rugby’s elite sevens series for the first time in two decades.
Speaking while giving closing remarks during the federations’ stakeholders meeting held on Monday, 29 January, Mutai pointed out that getting back to the series would be a major milestone for his reign.
"Our teams competed in the HSBC Challenger Series opener in Dubai and they registered great results. I am proud of them, and I am certain they will qualify to get back to the global stage," he told the attendees.
Shujaa kickstarted their promotion hunt with a stunning 41-0 win over Mexico before seeing off noisy neighbors Uganda 29-7 in the subsequent match. The win assured them a spot in the tournament's quarterfinals.
They ended their pool matches with a 24-12 loss to Germany. The loss was the first for the team since coach Kevin Wambua and his backroom staff took over.
The side has been on a winning streak since September 2023 when they humbled South Africa to book a direct slot in the Paris 2024 Olympics.
At the quarterfinal stage, the high-flying Kenya 7s narrowly escaped a 21-19 beating from on-form Japan.
Following their impressive exploits, the side is gearing up for the second HSBC Challenger Series slated for Montevideo, Uruguay from 8-10 March.
At the same time, Youth Affairs, Creative Economy, and Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba has called for accountability from the federations.
He insisted that the respective federations should comply with the Sports Act, and clean their linens to receive funding from the Sports, Art, and Social Development fund.
He also called for the independence of the federations, urging them to look for alternative sources of funding to avoid overdependence on the fund.
"We will not bother you if you have complied with the Sports Act. We will allow you to be suspended so that you can follow the law. If it takes a ban to clean your mess, then you will be banned. Do not threaten us with the International Federations or the media. I also talk to the international federations. I have made it clear to them that sports in Kenya are big and important," he strictly said.
The CS further asserted that his ministry has supreme power over the federations, but they were concerned with the fate of grassroots players in the event they chose to exercise their full power.
"Federation presidents should obey term limits by their respective constitutions," he said.
The primary objective was to assess the collective progress made by the different sports federations since their last gathering on November 16, 2022.
The breakfast meeting brought together various federations including the Kenya Rugby Union, Football Kenya Federation, Athletics Kenya, Kenya Hockey Union, Kenya Motorsport Federation, and the Kenya Basketball Federation among others.
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