When is the Kenya rugby sevens team's first game at the Olympics and how can you watch it?
Shujaa under the tutelage of Kevin Wambua qualified for the Olympic Games after winning the Rugby Africa Men’s Sevens 2023 in Harare, Zimbabwe on September 17th, 2023.
During the qualification campaign, the Shujaa overcame pre-tournament favourites South Africa 17-12 in a tense final to stamp their ticket to the Paris Games. Kenya’s qualification came after missing out on the inaugural HSBC SVNS after a last-gasp, relegation playoff defeat to Canada in London in May.
In Harare, the Shujaa made short work of their day-one opponents, Zambia, Namibia, and Nigeria, to top Pool B and reach the quarter-finals. Kenya was equally clinical in despatching Burkina Faso (26-0) and then hosted Zimbabwe (35-10) as the Shujaa booked their place in the final.
In the final, Kenya came up against South Africa, whose march through the pool phase had been equally impressive. Sandile Ngcobo’s team scored 120 points and only conceded 14. However, in the end, it was Shujaa, spearheaded by Patrick Odongo, who carried the day, winning the contest 17-12.
The victory saw Kenya land in Pool B for the Paris Games alongside second-seeded Argentina, Australia, and Samoa.
When is Shujaa's opener with Argentina?
The Shujaa will face Argentina, who are the World Sevens Series champions and Olympic bronze medallists from Tokyo four years ago, at the Stade De France in Paris.
The fixture will kick off at 17:00 (East African time). However, before the Kenyan game, Australia and Samoa will have the honour of kicking off the competition as they take to the field for the first match at 16:30 East African time.
Hosts and recent SVNS Grand Final champions France inspired by global superstar Antoine Dupont will get their Pool C campaign underway against the USA at 17:30 followed by double Olympic champions Fiji, who face debutants Uruguay at 18:00.
This will be the third time Kenya’s Shujaa is taking part in the Olympic Games, the first in 2016 Rio, where they finished 11th, and the second in 2020 Tokyo, where they came ninth.
According to coach Wambua, Shujaa are mentally and physically prepared to kick off their campaign on a high note against Argentina. “It's been a solid campaign, we have worked on everything, it's all about execution. Argentina are a quality side but we have watched their footage and videos and we will go all out for a win,” said Wambua as quoted by the Star.
"They are a physical side, who have the X-factor. We also have our quality players, who can cause problems. It's going to be a very competitive match. We have been on a journey and the boys have the drive and ambition to do well. Our mantra has always been one match at a time.”
Wambua continued: “The team has been in camp, and we are pleased with how well we have gelled together. Each player has shown dedication and commitment, both on and off the field. We are ready to give our very best at the Olympics. Our preparation has been intense, focusing on refining our skills and strategies.
“We are determined to represent Kenya with pride and aim to make a significant impact in Paris. With the support of our fans and the nation behind us, we are confident in our abilities and look forward to competing at the highest level.”
According to the statistics, the South Americans enjoy a better record against the East African nation from the 28 times they have faced off since the inception of the World Sevens Series in 1999. Argentina have managed 20 wins, Kenya have managed seven wins, and one fixture ended in a draw.
The last meeting between Kenya and Argentina came during the Cape Town Sevens in 2022 where the latter won 19-2. After playing Argentina, Shujaa will return to action with a fixture against Australia on Wednesday, July 24th, at 20.00. While Australia have won 16 of their last 21 meetings with Kenya, it was Shujaa, who carried the day during their last meeting – winning 12-7 at the 2023 Vancouver Sevens in Canada.
Shujaa, who have been training in Miramas, located south of France for the last two weeks, will round up their preliminary fixtures against Samoa on Thursday, July 25th at 1500hrs. Samoa are among the three Olympic debutants with Uruguay competing for the first time in the men’s competition while Ireland’s women make their first Olympic appearance.
How can you watch Shujaa in action?
All the Kenya matches will be live on the local channel Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC) and Pay TV channel SuperSport.
Follow the men's rugby at the Olympics here.
What is the tournament format?
According to World Rugby's official website, the competition format will observe all teams play three pool matches with eight teams qualifying for the quarter-finals in the evening session of the second day of competition before the third day sees the semi-finals and the all-important medal matches as Olympic dreams are realised and broken.
Rugby sevens is expected to be one of the highlights of Paris 2024, following the resounding success of Rugby World Cup 2023 in France. All the action will take place at Stade de France, which was the venue for the opening match and final of the Rugby World Cup 2023.
Fiji have famously won both men’s gold medals to date - Rio being their first ever Olympic medal - but five different nations have won the men’s SVNS Series since 2016, while Argentina were crowned SVNS 2024 league winners and France claimed the inaugural SVNS Grand Final title in Madrid last month, demonstrating the depth of competitiveness.
All six World Rugby regions are represented among the 24 teams who secured their spots in Paris via the HSBC SVNS Series, regional qualification competitions, and the World Rugby Sevens Repechage.
All you need to know about Shujaa
The Kenya Sevens team is sometimes referred to by the Kenyan and international press as 'Shujaa', a Swahili word meaning courage, confidence, bravery, or heroism.
The Kenya national rugby sevens team is one of the more successful sporting teams representing Kenya. They have won the men's Team of the Year category six times at the Kenyan Sports Personality of the Year Awards: 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2013, and 2016.
Kenya won the first round of the 2024 World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series in Dubai. They were runners-up in the overall series and qualified for the SVNS promotion and relegation play-off competition at the 2024 Spain Sevens.
Kenya has competed in the World Series every year since the competition's inception in 1999-2000. Kenya's best season came in 2012-13 when they finished fifth in the Series. Collins Injera and Humphrey Kayange were nominated for World Rugby Sevens Player of the Year in 2009 but lost to England's Ollie Phillips.
Kenya recorded their first win in the World Rugby Sevens Series after beating Fiji at the 2016 Singapore Sevens.
The East African nation will have 83 athletes competing in six fields - men’s rugby, athletics, fencing, judo, women’s volleyball, and swimming.
Shujaa's squad for the Olympics:
Team: Vincent Onyala (CC), Tony Omondi (CC), John Okoth, Kevin Wekesa, George Ooro, Samuel Asati, Nigel Amaitsa, Brian Tanga, Patrick Odongo, Lamech Ambetsa, Chrisant Ojwang and Herman Humwa.
Travelling Reserves: Festus Shiasi and Dennis Abukuse
Training Reserve: Brian Mutugi
Staff: Head Coach: Kevin Wambua, Conditioning Coach: Andrew Amonde, Physio: Lamech Bogonko, and Team Manager: Steven Sewe.
