Shujaa's Safari Sevens success fuels ambition for promotion

Vincent Onyala (with ball) of Kenya Shujaa scores past Shogun players during their 2025 Safari Sevens finals at Nyayo National Stadium on October 12, 2025. [Stafford Ondego, Standard]

Shujaa are full of confidence as they prepare for the 2025-2026 World Rugby Sevens Series Division Two after successfully defending the Safari Sevens title.

In front of their home fans, Kenya Sevens fought hard to retain the crown, displaying the never say die spirit synonymous with the Shujaa.

Assistant captain Samuel Asati, who was later named Player of the Final, played a key role in their triumph.

The KCB scrum-half’s quick decision-making and calm control of the game proved vital in the crucial moments,  guiding Shujaa through tight situations in both the semi-final and final matches.

On the other hand, captain George Ooro said the victory came at the right time, just before the team heads into the World Rugby Sevens Series Division Two.

“This tournament is like a stepping stone as we head to the World Rugby Sevens Series Division Two. It was our first competitive game since last season, and we wanted to gauge ourselves,” he said.

World Rugby recently introduced a new structure for the HSBC SVNS Series, which will now feature three divisions.

Shujaa head coach Kelvin Wambua expressed satisfaction with the team’s progress.

He praised both Shujaa and Kenya Morans, saying the two-week training period before the tournament helped build cohesion and understanding within the group.

“I am impressed with both Kenya Morans and Shujaa. We trained as a unit for the past two weeks, and to play the way they did showed we made some steps that I believe we can even make better in the near months ahead of preparing a strong team for the upcoming 2025-2026 HSBC SVNS season,” Wambua said.

He said Shujaa’s ability to recover from slow starts reflected the mental strength needed for the new series.

“Shujaa showed a never-die spirit despite a slow start in both the semis and finals, something we need as we head to another tough series,” he said.