Kenya Rugby Union Respond After Shujaa Relegation From World Rugby Sevens Series

KRU/Capital FM
Shujaa during a past tournament.
22 May 2023
Capital FM (Nairobi)
By Omondi Onyatta

Nairobi — The Kenya Rugby Union (KRU) have promised to work tirelessly to restore the lost glory of the national rugby Sevens side following the team's relegation from the HSBC World Sevens Series over the weekend.

In a statement on Monday, the union said they will undertake a comprehensive review of the season gone by to come up with strategies and a roadmap for Kenya's immediate return to the prestigious competition.

"In the coming days, we will conduct a comprehensive review of the 2022-2023 World Sevens Series season and based on the findings and recommendations in the review, the board will make informed decisions and guide the next steps to realign the team and set it on a path to success," the statement, signed by KRU chair Alexander Mutai, reads.

Shujaa were relegated to the Challenger series following a 12-7 loss to Canada in the playoff finals on Sunday in London.

The Kenyans will now have to win the Challenger Series set for next year as well as Africa 7s, which will serve as the qualifiers for the Paris Olympics in France.

It will be the first time in 19 years that Kenya will be missing out on the World Sevens Series.

The setback notwithstanding, KRU insist that Shujaa will continue with their pre-arranged competitions as they prepare for life in the second-tier.

"Shujaa will honour their pre-arranged commitments for the remainder of the year. They have been invited to the New York City Sevens tournament on July 15th, alongside other top global rugby Sevens teams. Over the next six weeks, we will work tirelessly to enhance Shujaa's competitiveness, implementing the recommended remedial measures from the review," the union said.

They added: "Similarly, we have set our sights on the Africa Cup, which serves as the Olympics qualifier, scheduled for September 16th and 17th in Zimbabwe. Our goal is to aptly prepare Shujaa to be considered a favourite to win the Africa Cup and secure qualification to the Paris Olympics."

Additionally, KRU are recommending opportunities for regular competition for Morans, the second string national Sevens side, although they contend this will require considerable financial resources.

"To ensure both Shujaa and Morans, our second national Sevens team, are adequately prepared for high-level competition, we plan to have them participate in various satellite rugby Sevens tournament worldwide," the statement said.

It added: "Furthermore, it is essential to consider the financial support required for the Morans as they are the talent feeder system for Shujaa. To maintain Shujaa's competitiveness and tournament success, funding for the Morans and their participation in satellite tournaments is crucial."

Read the original article on Capital FM.

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