Kenya’s Sevens national team, Shujaa, ended their Dubai Sevens campaign in 10th place following a 15-7 defeat to Uruguay at the Sevens Stadium.
This tournament marked their return to the World Rugby Sevens Series under the revamped format introduced last season.
Over the course of the weekend, Shujaa recorded two wins and three losses.
Their first victory of the season came against defending Dubai Sevens champions South Africa, with a thrilling 22-17 win as the 2024/2025 World Rugby Sevens Series got underway in Dubai on Saturday.
Shujaa had previously suffered a narrow 24-19 loss to world champions France in their opening match, followed by a 31-14 defeat to Australia.
In their final match against Uruguay, the South American side started strong with Ignacio Facciolo scoring the first try to give them a 5-0 lead.
Moments later, Mateo Vinals added an unconverted try, extending Uruguay’s lead to 10-0 at halftime.
The second half saw Tomas Etcheverry increase the gap with a try in the corner, exploiting a defensive lapse on Shujaa’s left flank.
Kenya responded through George Ooro, who powered over for a try under the posts after a quick tap penalty. Samuel Asati converted, bringing the score to 15-7, but Uruguay held firm to secure the win.
This result saw Shujaa move to the ninth-place semifinals, where they defeated Ireland 21-7 before facing Uruguay again in the final match.
Despite their efforts, the 10th-place finish echoed their performance at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Shujaa now shift their focus to the Cape Town Sevens, which will take place next weekend at the Nelson Mandela Stadium.
