This archive report was first published on 10 August 2019.
On October 18-20, the RFUEA Ground in Nairobi will host the 23rd edition of the Safari Sevens tournament, a premier rugby Sevens competition in Africa.
Among the 19 teams invited to participate are 2018 champions Samurai Select, as well as World Sevens Series participants South Africa, France, England, Canada, USA, and Spain.
Other teams invited include Japan, Botswana, Portugal, Nigeria, Ghana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Hong Kong, Uganda, Russia, and two teams from the United Kingdom, Red Wailers and Apache.
Hosts Kenya will field two teams, Shujaa and a developmental side nicknamed Morans, as they prepare for the Africa Sevens tournament in November, which will serve as a qualifier for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
Kenya Rugby Union Vice Chairman Thomas Opiyo expressed optimism that the tournament will return to its former state, citing the interest of the invited teams in the competition.
"The interesting thing about the invited teams is that they are not so keen on the prize money but are looking for a tournament that can give them good preparations for their upcoming assignments," Opiyo said.
As part of efforts to boost attendance, Opiyo assured that the ticket prices will be reviewed.
