Shujaa secured their third consecutive Safari 7s title with a hard-fought 12-0 victory over Shogun Rugby of England in an encounter at the Machakos Kenyatta Stadium yesterday.
This was the fifth final between the two sides, and the match was tightly contested from the beginning.
The 26th edition of the Safari Sevens had participation from 10 men’s and 6 women’s teams.
Men’s category had Shujaa and Morans while the women’s category were the Lionesses, the cubs, Kenya Harlequins, and the University Select team.
Shogun rugby beat Uganda 19-00 in the first game of the day, as Costa Blanca Barbarians edged out Uganda 12-10.
Kenya Lionesses took on the Kenya Cubs beating them 26-00.
Shogun were the first to book themselves a slot in the semi-finals after a resounding 33-14 win against Varsity select.
Zimbabwe also booked a slot in the semi-finals against Shogun after beating Kenya Harlequins 22-10.
Hosts Morans and Shujaa paired up in the second semi-final after beating Lions rugby 19-17 and Uganda 27-12 respectively.
The next round featured the fifth-place semi-finals where Kenya harlequins thrashed Varsity select 29-05 as Lions rugby edged out Uganda sevens 15-12 consequently pairing Kenya Harlequins against Lions rugby in the fifth-place finals.
Costa Blanca Barbarians were first to book a slot in the ladies` finals after beating Shogun rugby 19-07.
Kenya Lionesses narrowly edged out Uganda lady cranes 15-14 to secure a slot in the finals.
Shogun rugby thrashed Zimbabwe 34-14 in the first semi-final as Morans and Shujaa battled it out in the second semi-final.
Shujaa emerged victorious after a hard-fought battle that ended 21-19.
The last round of games were the finals which commenced with the fifth-place finals where Kenya Cubs narrowly won 7-5.
Lions rugby beat Kenya Harlequins 38-07 to win the men`s fifth pace category.
The Uganda lady cranes thrashed Shogun rugby 25-00 to clinch third place in the ladies` category.
In the ladies` finals, it was tough luck for hosts Kenya Lionesses after they suffered a 24-10 loss to Costa Blanca Barbarians consequently crowning the Barbarians the 2024 Safari seven`s ladies ‘champions.
In the men`s finals, it was a tightly contested first half as both Shujaa and Shogun were on top of their game.
Sports Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen who graced the finals said the government remains committed to enhancing sports infrastructure and providing the necessary support to ensure rugby continues to thrive.
“By working closely with stakeholders, we will ensure the Safari Sevens remains a premier event in Kenya’s sporting calendar” he said.
