Elias Hancock was part of the Canada team that was crowned the World Rugby Sevens Series Division III champions in Dubai in January.
Canada beat Belgium in the final to earn promotion to World Rugby Sevens Division II and was in the thick of things when the first leg was held in Nairobi last month.
What many who watched Hancock in action at Nyayo Stadium on the weekend of February 14-15 do not know is that he has deep Kenyan roots.
Hancock, who has a Kenyan father, has briefly lived in Kenya and featured for Impala in the local rugby league.
He played for Canada in the 2025 America North (RAN) Sevens at the Larry Gomes Stadium in Trinidad and Tobago in November 2025, helping them retain the crown.
While he can technically play for Kenya at some stage of his career, age might not be on his side.
He states: “Because I’ve played in world rugby-sanctioned events, I would have to sit out for three years to represent Kenya. Unfortunately, given that I’m 27, it’s unlikely I’ll play for Kenya now. However, I would have been eligible.”
The boisterous Kenyan-Canadian remembers some of his teammates at Impala, where he played when he was a wide-eyed, eager to learn 18-year-old.
“Yes, I still remember my teammates from Impala, like Brian Ochieng, who is still propping for them. I played alongside Fidel Tobby Otieno. I also played with Bradley Kwama, who has since moved to the Harlequins. How could he!?
“My experience at Impala was my first time playing rugby, which was a shock. I think I was playing in the third division. But it was still a great learning experience for me to see how physical rugby is.”
He explains: “I was born in Canada and did all my schooling there. I came to Kenya for three months in 2017 after I finished high school to see the land my family immigrated from.
Canada's player Elias Hancock walks past Kenya Shujaa players at half-time during their World Rugby HSBC Division Two Rugby 7’s Nairobi leg match at at Nyayo National Stadium on February 14, 2026
Photo credit: Chris Omollo | Nation Media Group
“Afterwards, I studied at the University of Ottawa in Canada. I received a bachelor’s degree in Health Science in 2022. I am hoping to study medicine within the next two years.
“About my background, I’m mixed race. My father’s name is Kennedy Maina. He was from Murang’a and immigrated to Canada back in the 1980s. He passed away in Canada in a motorcar accident in 2017.”My mother is called Kylie Hancock and was born in Canada. She has English, Ukrainian and Finnish ancestry, so you can see my blood is very mixed”
Hancock was born in Thunder Bay, Ontario, on November 11, 1998, and moved to Ottawa in 2006 to live with his dad.
“There, I attended Bayshore Catholic School until 2010. Then St Paul’s High School until 2013. I then attended Nepean High School and graduated in 2016. All these schools are in the city of Ottawa in the province of Ontario.”
Hancock plays for Westshore RFC in Victoria, British Columbia.
His teammates include Kal Sager and Thomas Isherwood, who are Canada Sevens internationals.
Interestingly, many former Kenya Sevens players have moved to Canada to play rugby.
One of the most popular is Alvin “Buffa” Otieno. Others are Nelson Oyoo, Johnstone Olindi and Jeff Oluoch.
“They all play for Westshore RFC,” Hancock says with a broad smile.
“I love playing alongside these guys as they make the club feel so Kenyan. It’s a stark contrast to when I used to play against some of them in the World Series. Mark Wandeto and Clinton Odhiambo are also playing in the same league but for different clubs in British Columbia.”
“I can’t wait to come back again,” he says.
