Shujaa ready to rumble in Cape Town
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Reading Time: 3min | Sat. 07.12.24. | 08:15
After a 10th place finish in Dubai, Cape Town offers new opportunity for Kenya
Kenya 7s national team; Shujaa are fired up for the Cape Town 7s, set to take place on Saturday, 7 to Sunday 8 December, after a 10th-place finish in the Dubai leg of the HSBC SVNS Series. Their campaign in Dubai was a mixed bag, marked by grit and resilience.
The team began with a narrow 24-19 loss to France in their pool opener, bounced back with a spirited 22-17 win over hosts South Africa, but fell 31-14 to Australia in the final pool match. Despite these results, Shujaa showed flashes of brilliance, defeating Ireland 21-7 in the ninth-place semifinal before succumbing to Uruguay 15-7 in the playoff for 10th place.
The Cape Town 7s offers a fresh opportunity for Shujaa to assert themselves on the global stage, with a revamped squad and renewed determination.
They have been placed in Pool B together with Australia and Spain. They will start their campaign against Australia at noon before facing Spain at 3:16 pm.
Assistant coach Louis Kisia expressed confidence in the team’s readiness,
“The boys are ecstatic and ready to rumble. We fell short in Dubai but gave a good performance of ourselves. We’ve polished up on areas that needed work and are ready to take on our opponents,” the former Strathmore Leos tactician said.
Kisia further emphasized their focus on taking each game at a time, analyzing weaknesses, and striving for consistent improvement.
Captain George Ooro also shared the team’s upbeat mood.
“We’re feeling great and happy. Our recovery has been good, and we are looking forward to the game. It’s a tough pool, but we have to bring our A-game,” he offered.
Ooro acknowledged the challenges posed by the new tournament format but remained optimistic about Shujaa’s chances of making it to the top eight.
A notable inclusion in the squad is playmaker Tony Omondi, marking his return after missing recent action due to a contractual dispute.
One more sleep and @KenyaSevens will be live in action at the @CapeTown7s. Here's the Day one schedule. pic.twitter.com/YLBdNGmuN4
— Kenya Rugby (@OfficialKRU) December 6, 2024
Omondi was a standout performer for the Shogun invitational side in Dubai, helping them clinch the title. His comeback fills the void left by Chrisant Ojwang, who is sidelined following surgery for an injury sustained in Dubai.
The rest of the squad remains unchanged, signaling continuity and trust in the team’s core.
This year’s Cape Town 7s will debut a new format introduced by World Rugby. The competition now features four pools of three teams each, with pool winners advancing directly to the semifinals. Teams finishing second will compete for fifth to eighth places, while third-place finishers play for ninth to twelfth positions.
World Rugby stated that the changes aim to enhance player welfare and increase the stakes of every match:
“This format optimizes recovery and preparation time, ensuring every match has heightened significance.”
SQUAD:
1. William Mwanji Indakalu (#19) 2. Kevin Wekesa (#6) 3. Samuel Asati (#9) 4. Nygel Pettersan Amaitsa (#10) 5. Denis Abukuse (#13) 6. Anthony Mboya (#7) 7. Floyd Wabwire (#25) 8. George Ooro Angeyo (#3) 9. Festus Shiasi Safari (#5) 10. Patrick Odongo Okong’o (#11) 11. Brayan Ondego (#37) 12. Brian Mutilu Mutua (#33) 13. Benson Adoyo (#30)
