The second leg of the HSBC SVNS 2 series kicked off in Montevideo over the weekend, and it was a rollercoaster of emotions for Kenya’s rugby sevens stars. While Shujaa managed to shake off a slow start to put themselves back in the promotion hunt, the Lionesses found the going much tougher at the Estadio Charrúa.
Shujaa: The Resurgence
Kevin Wambua’s men started Saturday on the back foot, surrendering a 10-0 lead to fall 14-10 against the USA. It was a stinging sense of déjà vu for the boys in green and red, who had lost to the same opponents in the Nairobi leg last month. Early tries from John Okoth and Vincent Onyala gave Shujaa a dream start, but the Americans clawed back through David Still to steal the points.
However, Shujaa didn’t let the “False Start” define their weekend. They responded with a clinical 19-5 victory over Canada before delivering their most dominant performance of the season: a 20-0 demolition of Belgium.
In the Belgium clash, Kevin Wekesa opened the scoring in the second minute after a beautiful interchange between George Ooro and Samuel Asati. Vincent Onyala, Patrick Odongo, and substitute Floyd Wabwire all crossed the whitewash to seal a win that lifts Kenya to third in the standings. They now face a massive “decider” against leaders Germany today (March 23) to secure their progression.
Lionesses: Heartbreak in the Rain
For the Kenya Lionesses, it was a weekend defined by narrow margins and missed opportunities. Simon Odongo’s side began with a disappointing 19-5 loss to China, but showed incredible grit to bounce back against Argentina. In a match played under a heavy downpour, Janet Okello and Sinaida Nyachio scored to secure a gutsy 12-10 win over the South Americans.
That momentum, however, hit a wall against Spain. In a highly contested battle, the Lionesses fell 19-14, with Spain’s Juana Stella scoring a second-half brace that just outpaced tries from Edith Nariaka and Okello.
The Lionesses sit 5th overall and now face a “must-win” clash against African rivals South Africa today at 8:23 PM EAT to keep their Division One promotion dreams alive.
Current Standings & Next Steps
• Shujaa: 3rd Place (7 points). Next up: Germany (March 23, 9:55 PM EAT).
• Lionesses: 5th Place. Next up: South Africa (March 23, 8:23 PM EAT).
The goal remains clear: finish in the top four by the end of the São Paulo leg next week to qualify for the World SVNS Championship finals and fight for a spot in Division One for the 2027 season.
