Safari Sevens: Five things learnt as tournament returned after two-year hiatus

Kenya’s Shujaa retained their title as the Safari Sevens tournament made a return after a two-year hiatus.

Shujaa beat Samurai 19-0 to secure the title in what was a one-sided cup final at the RFUEA grounds in Nairobi but Kenya Lionesses failed to clinch the women’s crown after a narrow 15-12 loss to the Uganda Lady Cranes.

It was an action-packed weekend that returned the memories of yesteryears when the tournament was one of the best, never to be missed, and there are a number of lessons learnt from the 2023 edition.

Shujaa are coming back

After their recent slide which culminated into their relegation from the World Series in the 2022-23 season, Shujaa appear to be on the mend and there have been clear signs since Kevin Wambua took over as coach.

Wambua took over a young side who showed their quality by sealing Olympics qualification in September when few had given them a chance, especially with South Africa among the teams to beat, and they showed on home soil again that it was not a fluke.

At Safari Sevens, Shujaa had no equals as they started group stage action with 36-0 win over SA All Stars before beating Uganda 17-5, a 33-5 win against Tropic 7s would follow before they wrapped it up with a 34-7 defeat of Red Wailers.

In the cup semi-finals, they brushed aside Germany 19-5 and served the same medicine to the Samurai in the final where they won 19-0.

It is another confidence boosting win for Shujaa which helps in their rebuild and they will approach the 2024 Challenger Series knowing they have the quality to regain their core status at the first time of asking.

New stars emerging

It was yet another tournament where Patrick Odongo showed his might. Just like he had an outstanding performance at the Olympic qualifiers where he was man of the match, he proved his worth to Wambua’s side yet again.

He scored two tries in the final to cap off a brilliant weekend after also shining at the group stage and the semi-final.

It was not just Odongo as Kevin Wekesa also continued to assert his authority. The Kabras Sugar forward was not just good offensively, also managing a try in the final, but pulled his weight too in defence.

His physicality, handoffs, big hits and tackles left his opponents on the floor and some will have to nurse a few injuries in the coming days.

The two were, however, outshone by tournament MVP Anthony Omondi who scored two tries and nine conversions at the weekend. Omondi also chipped in with a number of assists as Shujaa run out winners. 

Huge talent pool

The fact that Kenya had three men’s teams at the tournament showed again just how loaded the country is with talent.

Besides Shujaa, Kenya Morans and KCB also represented the country with the latter two facing off in the fifth place final.

Even as he handled Shujaa, Wambua might have had an eye on the other Kenyan sides which gives him more options for selection in future assignments.

There has never been doubt about the availability of rugby talent in Kenya but what is now needed is the right structures to ensure some of it does not go to waste.

Women’s game needs a boost

The Safari Sevens also displayed how much support is needed for women’s rugby with Kenya having two sides, the Kenya Lionesses and Cubs.

The Lionesses have been punching above their weight in recent assignments and they put in a gallant performance yet again before losing 15-12 to Uganda in the cup final.

The score line in the final might have been negative for the Lionesses but it was down to luck and not lack of quality since they had thrashed Tuks 52-0, beaten the very Ugandans 12-5, demolished Cubs 31-7 before a 36-0 win over Tropic 7s at the group stage.

That was followed by a 40-0 victory against Tropic 7s in the cup semi-final and they did it in some style, a sign that with great support, they can reach the level of their male counterparts.

Return to RFUEA Grounds

Returning the tournament to the RFUEA grounds seemed to have been a welcome move by rugby enthusiasts given the atmosphere witnessed especially on the final day.

The ground, which has fans close to the pitch and the players, creates an amazing atmosphere that had somewhat lacked when the event was taken to Nyayo and Kasarani Stadiums.

However, there is still more work to do to get fans on board as the ground was not full to the brim as witnessed in previous editions.

Whether that is down to lack of enough publicity or ticket prices is something the Kenya Rugby Union will need to look at as they fine tune things for future editions.