Kenya’s national rugby sevens team, Shujaa, have delivered another spirited performance, edging out France 10-7 in a tightly contested Pool B clash at the Singapore Sevens.

The April 5, 2025, victory marked Shujaa’s second consecutive win in the sixth leg of the HSBC Sevens Series, following an earlier triumph over Ireland, which placed them in a strong position heading into the final pool match.

Shujaa opened the scoring in the third minute when Vincent Onyala sliced through the French defence with a brilliant line break to touch down the opening try.

Nygel Pettersan Amaitsa stepped up and converted, sending Kenya into halftime with a 7-0 lead.

France came back fighting in the second half and levelled the scores in the ninth minute.

Joe Quere Karaba capitalised on a gap in the Kenyan defence to score a try, which was converted by Enahemo Artaud, bringing the game to a 7-7 stalemate.

With the game seemingly headed for a draw, Kenya were handed a lifeline in the dying moments.

A tackle infringement by France’s Varian Pasquet in the 16th minute gave Shujaa a penalty opportunity.

Amaitsa calmly stepped up and slotted the kick through the posts to give Kenya a 10-7 lead.

The Wambua-coached side held on in the final seconds to secure a hard-earned win, their second of the day, and a major boost in their fight for series survival.

Win over Ireland

Earlier in the day, Shujaa kicked off their Singapore campaign with a determined 17-7 victory over Ireland.

Kenya made their intentions clear from the start, with captain Samuel Asati leading by example in a well-structured opening half.

Nygel Pettersan Amaitsa struck first, breaking through Ireland’s defence and scoring under the posts before converting his own try for a 7-0 lead.

Shujaa continued to apply pressure, and Kevin Wekesa capitalised from a scrum to add a second try.

Although the conversion went wide, Kenya went into halftime with a commanding 12-0 advantage. Ireland pushed back in the second half, but Kenya’s defence remained resolute.

Even after Wekesa was sent to the sin bin, Shujaa stayed composed. Festus Shiasi Safari set up Patrick Odongo for Kenya’s third try to extend the lead to 17-0.

Ireland managed a late consolation try through Josh Costello, but it was not enough to change the outcome, as Shujaa sealed a crucial 17-7 win.

Relegation battle

Despite the strong showing in Singapore, Shujaa’s battle for core status in the HSBC Sevens Series is far from over.

The ninth-placed side currently has 18 points. Even if they win the Singapore Series and reach 38 points, they will still fall short of automatic qualification.

Great Britain, currently eighth in the standings, has already secured safety with 38 points.

This means Shujaa will be forced to compete in the relegation playoffs.

Kenya will face stiff competition in that stage from Uruguay (17 points), Ireland (15 points), and the USA (10 points), who are all fighting to retain their place in the Series.