Sevens team lift Safland Sevens in Namibia as Floodlit champions Impala book final date with KCB in local scene

RUGBYU-SEVENS-SIN Kenya's Robert Aringo (C) celebrates with teammates after defeating Fiji in the cup final at the Singapore Sevens rugby tournament on April 17, 2016. / AFP PHOTO / ROSLAN RAHMAN

Happy ending for Shujaa

Kenya Sevens were on Saturday crowned 2017 Safland Sevens champions after beating rivals South Africa Select 19-12 in the final at SFC Sports Club Swakopmund, in Namibia.

It was a sweet revenge for the selected youthful Shujaa side, who had lost 21-24 to the South Africans in the Group stages.

Both teams were using the tournament as part of their preparation ahead of the busy 2017/18 season that starts with the first round of the HSBC Sevens World Series in Dubai (December 1-2) and Cape Town (December 9-10).

Sammy Oliech grounded a converted try to put Kenya on the driving seat before William Ambaka made it 12-0 on the stroke of halftime. Menengai Oilers youngster Sam Muregi scored a converted try in between two tries and a conversion from South Africa to hand Shujaa the title.

Kenya had a positive start to the tournament on Friday after registering a resounding 12-0 victory over hosts Namibia before thrashing Zambia (31-0) and South Africa's Bulls (41-0).

They then lost to South Africa 21-24, but bounced back to see off Namibia Academy 26-0 in the semifinal to set up a final date with the South Africans.

Meanwhile, Kenya Simbas head coach Jerome Paarwater has expressed his disappointment following the national team's humiliating 23-3 defeat to Chile in Friday's opening match of the Regal Hotels Cup of Nations rugby tournament in Hong Kong.

Simbas were a shadow of their former self as they struggled to settle against a dominant Chilean side.

”We didn’t get our result as we would have wished to. Looking at next year, it is a big learning curve for us and that is why we are on this tour," said Paarwater.

However, the South African believes Kenya drew some positives ahead of tomorrow's (12pm) match against Russia.

”We had good defence; our set-pieces were better but we need to work on our exit strategies," he said.

Elsewhere, Impala Floodlit tournament champions Impala will renew their rivalry with Kenya Commercial Bank in Saturday's final of this year's preseason competition after both sides won in their respective semifinals at Impala Club last Saturday.

The bankers laboured to defeat a resilient Homeboyz 18-16 as Impala overcame Mean Machine 20-10 to set up a repeat of last year's final.