Latest News

Flying Shujaa eye revenge against New Zealand in ninth place final

Kenya Sevens winger Patrick Odongo dives for a try at the Perth Sevens tournament. [World Rugby] Kenya Sevens are preparing to take on New Zealand in a rematch for ninth place at the Perth Sevens on Sunday. The rematch comes after the Shujaa improved on their results with wins over Uruguay and USA on Saturday.

The match, which will take place at 9:14 a.m. ET, will be an opportunity for Shujaa to end their campaign in the best possible way, avenging a 29-14 loss to the All Blacks in the group stage. After a disappointing start to the third round of the Sevens World Series on Friday where they lost to New Zealand (29-14) and Fiji (21-14), they showed resilience yesterday.

They scored a convincing 19-5 win over Uruguay before beating the USA 26-21 to secure their place in the playoffs for ninth place. In the final Group C match against Uruguay, Kenya put up a strong performance.

Already in the first minute, Kevin Wekeza scored the first try, which was converted by Anthony Omondi. Omondi’s successful conversion increased the lead to 14-0. Before the break, the speedy Patrick Odongo scored his third try, increasing the lead to 19-0. In the second half, Uruguay managed to turn the tide of the match thanks to a try by Tomas Echeverry but Kenya had the game in hand.

The win over Uruguay means they will play the USA for ninth place in the semifinals. The Kenyans allowed Adam Channell to score the first try and Marcus Tupuola made the conversion, giving them a 7-0 lead.

However, Patrick Odongo quickly battled back and leveled the score with Anthony Mboya’s try. George Olo Angeyo then scored two tries giving Kenya a 19-7 lead.

USA narrowed the gap thanks to Chanel’s second try, but a crucial try by Floyd Wabwire and a conversion by Nigel Amaica increased Kenya’s lead to 26-14. Despite a late try by Feitara Tarapusi, Shujaa held on for the win, boosting morale.

Reflecting on the trip to Perth, Shujaa coach Kelvin Wambua was optimistic about his team’s progress. The boys have shown character, especially after a tough start to the tournament.

Our task now is to keep the momentum going and give our best in the match against New Zealand,” Wambua said. Sunday’s match will be the first Sevens World Series meeting between Kenya and New Zealand since May 2023.

Kenya will be looking to break a 13-match unbeaten streak against the All Blacks, whose last win dates back to the Hong Kong Sevens semi-final on April 8, 2018. In that historic match, Collins Injera scored twice and led Kenya to a 21-12 victory and their first Cup final appearance.

Today’s match is a chance for Shujaa to rewrite the script and finish the Perth Sevens on a high. With Patrick Odongo, George Oro and other rising stars, fans will be hoping for a spirited performance against the All Blacks to end their five-year drought.

Latest News

Themes