This archive report was first published on 22 October 2019.
The national men's rugby team, Shujaa, has shifted its focus to the Africa Sevens tournament, a crucial qualifier for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, following their participation in the Tusker Safari Sevens 2019.
The continental showpiece will be held at the Bosman Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa, on November 8-9, with the winner securing automatic qualification to the Olympics.
Kenya fielded two teams at the Safari Sevens, with the second-string outfit, Morans, claiming the Main Cup, while the first team, Shujaa, settled for third position.
Several new entrants to the national team setup, including Nakuru RFC's Monate Akuei and half-back Ian Mabwa, staked a claim in coach Paul Feeney's final squad for the Africa Sevens.
Feeney emphasized the need for the team to perform well in training to make it to the final squad, citing areas such as lineouts, fitness, and structure that require improvement.
Jeffrey Oluoch, the captain of the Morans team, attributed their win to the hunger exhibited by the players making their debuts.
Kenya will be sweating over the fitness of key player Collins Injera, who suffered an arm injury in his first involvement with the team since last year's Sevens World Cup in the USA.
Published on October 22, 2019.
