This archive report was first published on 17 October 2019.
Kenya's national men's rugby Sevens team, Shujaa, will face Zambia in their first match of the Safari Sevens tournament on Saturday, October 19, 2019. The team, seeking to reclaim the title they last won in 2016, will also play South African club Blue Bulls and Russia Academy in the preliminaries of the three-day tournament.
Shujaa's campaign will be played at the RFUEA ground, while Kenya's second-string team, Morans, faces a difficult test in pool A alongside 2017-18 World Sevens Series champions South Africa, who have named a strong team with all-time top points scorer Cecil Afrika.
Uganda, regular participants at the Safari Sevens since the inaugural edition in 1996, are also in the pool together with Burundi. Defending champions Samurai Select headline pool B, which also includes Western Province from South Africa, Russian club Narvskaya Zastava, and Red Wailers, a United Kingdom Franchise.
Kenya Rugby Union chairman Oduor Gangla expressed excitement about hosting the event, saying it showcases the talent in the country and gives Kenyans a chance to watch other strong international teams.
Proceedings will get underway on Friday, October 18, 2019, with age-grade and veterans competition before the tournament proper starts on Saturday. The best two teams in each of the four pools will qualify for the Main Cup quarter-finals, while the bottom two will contest for the Challenge Trophy.
Safari Sevens director Godwin Karuga assured that all systems are in place for a successful tournament, with a strong lineup of teams and controlled traffic to avoid last year's issues.
