Shujaa, Lionesses glide into World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series finals
Rugby
By
Washington Onyango
| Jan 14, 2024
Kenya Sevens and Kenya Lionesses on Sunday continued with their impressive show at the World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series after reaching the finals in Dubai.
Shujaa hammered Uruguay 21-5 in the semifinals where rising star Patrick Odongo scored a hat trick to inspire Kenya to the win.
Keen to kick off on a high note, the team held onto possession, and Odongo brilliantly deceived opponents with a dummy move after a ruck, swiftly racing to secure the initial try. The conversion was successful, propelling Kenya to a 7-0 lead.
Building on their momentum, Kenya increased their advantage as Nygel Amaitsa executed a clever grabber kick, deftly collected by Odongo for the second try. The successful conversion widened the gap to 14-0.
Uruguay faced a setback when a yellow card temporarily reduced them to six players, presenting an opportunity that Kenya exploited.
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Taking full advantage, John Okoth orchestrated a setup for Odongo, who secured his third try, completing an impressive hat-trick.
Despite Uruguay's late attempt at a try, their endeavors fell short, and Kenya clinched the victory with a stellar performance, capitalizing on the advantage gained during Uruguay's temporary numerical disadvantage.
The top four teams from the Challenger series that has three legs in Dubai, UAE, Montevideo, Uruguay on March 8-10 and Munich, Germany on May 18-19 will then face off with the bottom four teams after the 2023/2024 World Series.
In the women's category, Judith Akinyi, Naomi Amuguni and Sinaida Nachio each crossed the white wash to win 17-0 against Argentina and book finals.