Kenya Sevens will face two former world champions over the next two days in Hong Kong as they begin the final phase of their campaign for a place in next season’s World Rugby Division I Series.
The tournament in Hong Kong marks the opening leg of the newly introduced three-stop World Rugby Championships, which will determine the teams that secure promotion. After Hong Kong, the series will move to Valladolid, Spain from May 29 to 31 before concluding in Bordeaux, France from June 5 to 7.
Shujaa have been drawn in a tough Pool C alongside former champions Australia, 14-time series winners New Zealand, and the United States.
Kenya will open their campaign against Australia at 12.46pm Kenyan time on Friday before taking on New Zealand at 3.47pm. They will then conclude their pool matches against the United States at 8.24am on Sunday.
Kenya’s strength and conditioning coach Andrew Amonde believes the team can fight its way back to the top tier with discipline and belief.
“Australia move the ball very fast and we must be alert from the first whistle to overcome them. We must also execute our set-pieces and line-outs well,” said Amonde.
“The current All Blacks side is not the same team we were used to before. It is a young side with very quick players. They move the ball quickly, which means our defence must remain fluid,” he added.
Hong Kong will feature 12 teams, with the top eight after the three legs qualifying for the 2026/27 World Rugby Sevens Division I.
Kenya last faced Australia at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where the Australians won 21-7 in the pool stage. Shujaa’s most recent victory over Australia came in Los Angeles during the 2022/23 World Rugby Sevens Series, when Kenya won 12-7.
Against New Zealand, Kenya last met the All Blacks Sevens in Perth earlier this year, losing 29-14 in the pool stage before falling 19-12 in the ninth-place playoff.
However, Shujaa will draw confidence from their memorable 21-12 victory over New Zealand in the semi-finals of the 2018 Hong Kong Sevens, where they went on to finish runners-up after losing to Fiji in the final.
Kenya also have unfinished business against the United States after losing twice to the Americans in the recently concluded Division II circuit, despite registering one win in Sao Paulo.
“Australia could provide a more challenging task for us compared to the All Blacks,” Amonde said.
