Kenya’s Rugby Sevens team, the Shujaa, has secured a hard-fought 17-7 victory over Ireland in their opening match at the Singapore Sevens, marking a strong start in the sixth leg of the HSBC Sevens Series.

The match, held on April 5, 2025, saw a confident performance from the Kenyan side, with key players stepping up to seal the win.

The game kicked off with Shujaa displaying their intent early, as team captain Samuel Asati orchestrated play from the outset.

First half dominance

Kenya’s opening try came from the hands of Nygel Pettersan Amaitsa, who broke through Ireland’s defence to score under the posts.

Amaitsa converted his own try, giving Shujaa an early 7-0 lead.

The momentum continued as Shujaa pressed further from a scrum, with Kevin Wekesa diving over to add another try to the scoreboard.

Though the conversion attempt went wide, the ninth-place lads were firmly in control at 12-0 as the first half concluded.

Ireland’s response

The second half saw a more determined Ireland side looking to get back into the game.

However, Shujaa’s defence held firm, denying the Irish team any easy opportunities.

Despite Wekesa being sent to the sin bin at the start of the second half, Shujaa’s resilience shone through.

A breakthrough came when Festus Shiasi Safari assisted Patrick Odongo in scoring Kenya’s third try, bringing the score to 17-0.

The conversion attempt was again wide, but with a solid cushion, the match seemed well within reach for Shujaa.

Ireland responded late with a try from Josh Costello, but it was too little, too late, as the game ended with Kenya securing a 17-7 victory.

Coach Kevin Wambua’s men will now focus on their next match against France at 11:00 am.

With Ireland, France, and Kenya all part of Pool B, Shujaa’s win sets them up nicely for the rest of the pool stage as they aim to keep their momentum going in the Singapore Sevens which they won in 2016.

Battle against relegation

Despite their win, Shujaa are still in a fierce battle for survival in the HSBC Sevens relegation playoffs.

In the recently concluded Hong Kong series, Shujaa put up a spirited fight, defeating Spain 19-0 before falling to Great Britain 12-7.

They also lost 14-7 to France, dropping to the ninth-place playoff, where they defeated the USA 17-10 to advance to the final.

However, they narrowly lost 19-17 to South Africa, securing 10th place.

This result lifted Shujaa to ninth place in the overall standings, but they only secured three points, bringing their total tally to 18 points.

While winning the Singapore Sevens title would increase their tally to 38 points, it would not be enough to guarantee their safety, as Great Britain, currently above them in the standings, has already secured their place in the HSBC SVNS Series with 38 points.

As a result, the Wambua-led side faces a tough challenge in the relegation playoffs, where they will compete against Uruguay (17 points) and the USA, who are currently at the bottom and will be desperate to retain their core status at the upcoming home tournament in Los Angeles in May 2025.