The Kenya National Rugby Sevens team, Shujaa, wrapped up their HSBC SVNS Championship campaign in Bordeaux with an emphatic 26-7 victory over Uruguay on Sunday to secure 11th place at the tournament held at Stade de Bordeaux, France, from 6th to 8th June, 2026.
Despite the strong finish in Bordeaux, Kenya narrowly missed out on an overall top-eight ranking in the HSBC SVNS standings.
Shujaa concluded the season in ninth place with 16 points, having previously finished seventh in Hong Kong and eighth in Valladolid, Spain.
Kenya had entered the Bordeaux leg tied for eighth place on 14 points alongside France. However, the United States overtook Kenya after defeating Fiji 17-14 in the fifth-place playoff, earning 12 crucial points from the tournament and climbing into eighth place overall.
The final standings saw South Africa, Australia, Argentina, New Zealand, Spain, Fiji, France, and the United States occupy the top eight positions, with Kenya finishing just outside the cutoff in ninth place.
The playoff with Uruguay carried added significance as both Kenya and Uruguay arrived at the match without a single win in the Bordeaux leg.
Determined to end the tournament on a positive note, Shujaa delivered a commanding performance to redeem themselves and finish their campaign in style.
Kenya struck first through Vincent Onyala, whose try was successfully converted by David Nyagige to hand Shujaa an early 7-0 lead. Uruguay responded just before halftime when Francisco Landauer crossed the whitewash and calmly added the conversion himself to level the scores at 7-7 heading into the break.
Shujaa emerged from halftime with renewed energy and quickly regained control. John Okoth sliced through the Uruguayan defense after a series of brilliant offloads to score Kenya’s second try. Nyagige’s conversion stretched the advantage to 14-7.
Moments later, Nyagige produced one of the standout moments of the match, finishing off a brilliantly executed kickoff to score a resplendent try. He converted his own effort to extend Kenya’s lead to 19-7 and put the result beyond Uruguay’s reach.
With victory in sight, Kenya added the final flourish just before the hooter. Brian Tanga powered over for another try, and Jackson Siketi converted to seal a convincing 26-7 triumph.
“It’s a tough start for us, but there are no easy matches at this level. We are aware of the threat Fiji poses, especially in kick-off receptions, set pieces, and turnover ball,” said Kevin Wambua in an interview heading to the Bordeaux leg.
Kenya began the Bordeaux leg nightmare on Friday with a 31-12 defeat to Fiji in their opening HSBC SVNS Championship match.
Fiji took an early lead through Terio Veilawa, but Patrick Odongo’s converted try brought Kenya level at 7-7. George Bose then restored Fiji’s advantage, giving the Pacific Islanders a 12-7 halftime lead.
Kevin Wekesa’s try after the break saw Shujaa draw level at 12-12, raising hopes of a comeback. However, Fiji responded through Kavekini Tanivanuakula, whose converted try put his side back in front. Apete Narogo added two late tries as Fiji pulled away for a convincing 31-12 victory, handing Kenya a difficult start to the tournament.
“We pushed South Africa close in Hong Kong. I want the boys to match their physicality, defend as a unit, and create opportunities for us to win the match,” Wambua said.
Africa’s two rugby sevens powerhouses met in their second Pool match, but it was South Africa who underlined their dominance with a commanding 26-5 victory over Kenya in France.
Kenya’s struggles, which were evident during the Spain and Hong Kong legs of the series, resurfaced as the Blitzboks took control from the outset.
Shilton van Wyk crossed the whitewash twice in the opening half, while Ricardo Duarttee successfully converted the second try to hand South Africa a comfortable 12-0 lead at the break.
The South Africans maintained their intensity after halftime, with Quewin Nortje adding two more tries. Duarttee remained flawless from the tee, converting both efforts to stretch the advantage to an unassailable 26-0.
Shujaa’s only response came in the closing moments when George Ooro powered over for a consolation try, denying South Africa a clean sheet. However, it proved too little, too late, as the Blitzboks cruised to a convincing 26-5 win.
Kenya’s most painful moment of the Bordeaux Sevens came in their third pool match, where a 14-5 defeat to Great Britain dealt a major blow to Shujaa’s campaign.
The British seized control early and never looked back. Charlton Kerr and Finley Lloyd-Gilmour each crossed the try line in a dominant first-half display, while Roan Frostwick was flawless with the boot, converting both tries to give Great Britain a commanding 14-0 lead at the break.
Desperate for a response, Kenya spent much of the second half probing for openings in Great Britain’s resolute defense. However, the Queen’s men stood firm, frustrating Shujaa’s attacking efforts and denying them any meaningful breakthrough.
It was only in the closing stages that Kenya finally found a way through, with Patrick Odongo touching down for a late consolation try. The score offered little comfort, though, as Great Britain held on to secure a 14-5 victory and leave Kenya facing an uphill battle in the tournament.
After suffering three consecutive defeats, Kenya found itself battling for a place in the 9th-place semifinal, but what followed stunned many observers. The East Africans fell to a surprise 7-5 defeat against Germany, ending their hopes of a stronger finish in the tournament.
Germany drew first blood in the fourth minute when Felix Hufnagel crossed the whitewash before calmly adding the conversion to hand his side a 7-0 advantage.
Kenya struggled to break through a resolute German defense that stood firm under relentless pressure. Their long-awaited breakthrough finally arrived in the 11th minute when Patrick Odongo powered over for a try, but the missed conversion proved costly as Germany held on for a narrow and memorable victory.
South Africa capped off a dominant campaign by clinching the 2026 HSBC SVNS Championship title with 54 points, finishing ahead of New Zealand on 44 and Spain on 42. At the other end of the standings, Kenya, Great Britain, Germany, and Uruguay endured the disappointment of relegation after finishing in the bottom four.
Under the competition’s new format, the quartet will drop into the HSBC SVNS Challenger pathway for the 2027 season, where they will have to fight their way back to the top tier of the global sevens circuit.
In the women’s competition, Australia emerged as champions with 58 points, narrowly edging New Zealand, who finished on 54, while Canada claimed third place with 44 points. Meanwhile, Brazil, Argentina, Great Britain, and South Africa finished in the relegation zone and will also compete in the HSBC SVNS Challenger pathway during the 2027 season.
By Victor Ngugi
