Safari 7s: Shujaa seal fourth straight title as Lionesses reclaim crown
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Reading Time: 2min | Sun. 12.10.25. | 19:18
A moment of silence was observed before kick off in honour of fallen Belgian coach Warren Abrahams
Kenya’s rugby pride was in full display at the Nyayo National Stadium as both Shujaa and the Lionesses emerged victorious on the final day of the 2025 Safari 7s, held on Sunday, 12 October.
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Shujaa, Kenya’s national men’s sevens team, battled to a hard-fought 14-7 win over familiar foes Shogun Rugby, clinching their fourth consecutive Safari 7s title in a dramatic fashion.
The match began on a sombre note, with players and fans observing a moment of silence in honour of Warren Abrahams, the Belgium Sevens coach who passed away on Friday, 10 October, during the tournament.
Shogun drew first blood with a converted try, unsettling the home crowd. Shujaa responded with determination, pressing hard through the pace of Nygel Amaitsa, who came close to scoring but was held up just short.
Moments later, an infringement saw Shogun reduced to six men, an opportunity Kenya capitalized on, as Amaitsa finally crossed the line to level the score 7-7 before halftime.
The second half saw both sides fight tooth and nail, with defensive grit and handling errors denying clear opportunities.
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Kenya’s breakthrough came after crucial substitutions, Chrissant Ojwang replacing Festus Shiasi, and Floyd Wabwire coming in for Patrick Odongo.
Wabwire made an instant impact, diving over for Shujaa’s second try, which was successfully converted to give Kenya a 14-7 lead.
Despite Shogun’s late pressure, referee Christo Erasmus of South Africa blew the final whistle to seal Shujaa’s historic win.
Wild celebrations erupted as fans roared and the Lionesses, fresh from reclaiming their own title, stormed the pitch to celebrate with their male counterparts.
In the women’s category, the Lionesses edged out Uganda’s Lady Cranes 14-10 in a tense final to reclaim the Safari 7s title they lost last year to Costa Blanca Ladies.
The match was a repeat of the 2023 final, but this time Kenya emerged on top, fueled by home support and a hunger to restore their dominance.
In the bronze final, Kenya Morans edged out the Zimbabwe Cheetahs 19-12 to secure third place.
John Okoth opened the scoring with a powerful run that saw him shrug off two defenders, before Brian Mutua crossed the line straight from the restart to hand Morans a 12-0 lead.
Okoth completed his brace in the second half, sealing the victory despite late tries from Tavonga Ablant and Dion Kumalo, which proved insufficient for Zimbabwe’s comeback hopes.
Meanwhile, National 7s Circuit champions KCB Rugby clinched fifth place after narrowly defeating UK Select 19-17 in a tightly contested playoff.
Safari 7s final results
Men
Main Cup Quarterfinals
Shogun 31–5 French Renegades
Morans 21–19 UK Select
KCB 10–19 Zimbabwe
Shujaa 40–0 Nyati
Challenge Trophy Semifinals
Reunion 50–0 Walukuba
Uganda 14–10 Apache
