What Kenya must do to return to HSBC World Rugby SVNS Series

From Left: Shujaa co-captains George Ooro (Left)and Samuel Asati (Right), Kenya Lionesses captain Sheila Chajira (Second Left) and Kenya Rugby Union CEO Thomas Odundo (Second Right) during the launch of the opening leg of the HSBC SVNS 2 series in Nairobi on Monday January 19, 2025. [Photo/ Stafford Ondego] Kenya will next month start the tedious journey of returning to the main HSBC World Rugby SVNS Series, where the men's national team, Kenya Shujaa, used to showcase the pride of our nation with zeal and zest. Kenya will kick-start the daunting task by hosting the opening leg of the prestigious HSBC SVNS2 series in Nairobi on February 14-15, at the Nyayo National Stadium, where Shujaa and the national women's sevens outfit, Kenya Lionesses, are hopeful to make a bold step in the odyssey. As the country readies for the upcoming battle, which has seen Shujaa travel to South Africa and Lionesses leave for Spain (next Monday) for a high-performance training camp to put their house in order, many rugby pundits are pondering what it will take for Kenya to return to the glorious days of the HSBC SVNS Series. "Proper structures put in place will ensure effective and easy transition of players from low tiers league to the top, where Shujaa and Lionesses will gain from their capacity," Shujaa captain Samuel Asati told Standard Sports. "Shujaa and Lionesses should build depth to become technically and tactically superior. From scrums to line outs, kicks and receptions, defense to penalties, all should be flawless in action. "Lastly, our departments should be peerless; everyone should play the roles they have been tasked with diligently. The players should put in the work, and the officials should deliver on their mandates to make the whole sport ecosystem flow," the 26-year-old Shujaa scrum half added. According to Lionesses skipper Sheila Chajira, the journey back to the main HSBC Series won't be a walk in the park, but she firmly believes the whole trip can be eased with great financial muscle. "With time, I have realized that you can definitely excel well in sport with a healthy bank balance, so we are calling upon sponsors and corporations to come on board to give us support in this trip. "When we have a good mindset that is free from financial struggles, then we will be able to nail the needed victories on the pitch. "Apart from training well for the series, the teams need good financial backing to prevent the players' dreams from heading south," noted Chajira, who also doubles as Kenya Harlequins women's RFC coach cum player. Both Asati and Chajira's sentiments have been backed by Kenya Rugby Union (KRU) Chief Executive Officer Thomas Odundo, who is very confident that the Kenyan teams will make a return to the coveted HSBC World Rugby SVNS Series. "As KRU, we have already laid down a strategy for the sides. Our main goal is to ensure we don't drop below the top eight at the end of the championship series in June. "We want Shujaa and Lionesses to at least make it to the finals in each of the three HSBC SVNS 2 legs to be staged in Nairobi, Montevideo (Uruguay), and Sao Paulo (Brazil), so they end in the top four, which will guarantee them a place in the Rugby Championships showdown. "During the Rugby Championships showpiece, they will battle the top eight sides in the HSBC Division One, where out of the 12 teams, the top eight will remain in the HSBC Division One category, as the last four dropped to the HSBC Division 2. "We all know this journey will be long and tedious, but we are taking one game at a time," Odundo noted. While explaining his confidence in Kenya making it back to the main series at the end of the day, Odundo said: "We have good players who have the prowess and ability to make it happen. Most of these teams we have in the SVNS 2 pools have played them before and have emerged tops, like last season, Shujaa cruised over some outfits to make it to the Singapore 7s finals. "If we can get to the finals consistently in all the SVNS2 outings, and also during the Rugby Championships showdown, then we will hit the Division One final 8 jackpot." The KRU boss has explained that taking Shujaa to South Africa for high performance training, where they battled South Africa, who were last years' Cape Town 7s winners, is a great plus to the country in relation to Kenya's preparations for the forthcoming SVNS2 tournaments in Nairobi. "The high-performance training in South Africa and Spain (Lionesses) is helping the Kenyan teams to build depth. They are also giving our players, who did not feature in the Safari 7s and the Africa Women's 7s, a chance to get exposure ahead of the battle to be staged in Nairobi. "As KRU, we believe that the more you play rugby, the better you become as a player, so we are definitely using the high-performance camps to gauge our charges before we start the SVNS2 tournaments. "Our women who are heading to Spain will play the hosts and Belgium, who will also be in the mix in Nairobi as they search for glory, and meeting these two sides will indicate for us whether what we have been building with Lionesses ahead of the SVNS2 series opening leg at Nyayo has been working or not," Odundo said. Asked what hosting a global tournament like the HSBC SVNS2 Series means to Kenya, Odundo reckoned: "It shows that we have become a world powerhouse in sports. This is just an extra event to the global championships that we are currently hosting; others include the WRC Safari Rally, the Magical Kenya Open, and the upcoming AFCON 2027 football showpiece. "Kenya being awarded the rights to hosts the HSBC SVNS2 series is a great mark of confidence on our country by the world sports bodies in relation to our infrastructures that includes ease of entry (at the JKIA), visa access, hotel industry (accommodation and hospitality), playing venues (Nyayo, Kasarani and the yet to be unveiled Raila Odinga International Stadium- Talanta Stadium). As Shujaa and Lionesses prepare for the SVNS2 tournaments, Odundo is of the opinion that the two sides should work on their speed and endurance so as to be in a position to penetrate their opponents in the middle. "Also, we should work on our finishing. We should be in a position to execute those line breaks during the championships if we intend to stay on top," noted Odundo. The KRU boss says the forthcoming HSBC SVNS 2 tournaments are going to have an impact on our economy, as hotels in Nairobi are going to be busy with bookings, transport sectors like taxis and boda bodas are going to make a kill ferrying fans to and fro the stadium, vendors are going to sell food, beverages and other sorts of rugby paraphernalia like hot cakes and entertainment joints going to be filled to the brim with revelers. Already, KRU needs an extra Sh100 million to meet the total Sh 200 million budget to fully fund the HSBC SVNS2 championships, and it is on this note that Odundo is urging Kenyan corporates to come on board to seize this rare opportunity that will give their brands global visibility during the games. "We already have a package for everyone, and from as little as Sh 50000. So, urge our local firms to rise to the occasion and make it count in the tournaments," said Odundo. In his message to Kenyan fans gearing up for the global rugby showdown at Nyayo, Odundo has urged spectators to come out in droves to cheer and support Shujaa and the Lionesses so they can roar in the games. "I urge Kenyans to do something different this valentine day, kindly fill up the stadium and make it count. Don't be worried about the day because you will still have the whole evening to plan for your Valentine escapades," Odundo said.

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