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The Nairobian

Kenya Sevens crash out of Vancouver Sevens after back to back defeats

Rugby

By Washington Onyango | Feb 22, 2025

Shujaa hurdle before a match at Dubai Sevens. [Kenya Sevens]

Kenya Sevens' struggles in the 2024 HSBC Vancouver Sevens continued as they suffered two consecutive defeats in Group A, effectively eliminating them from contention for the Cup quarterfinals.

Shujaa, who are currently in the relegation zone, fell 24-0 to Argentina in their opening match before succumbing to a 33-7 loss against France on Saturday morning.

Kenya went into the match against France hoping to end a poor run, having won only once in their last 10 encounters against Les Bleus. However, early mistakes proved costly as France took full advantage to dictate the game.

An overthrow at the line-out by Samuel Asati gifted possession to the French, who quickly spread the ball wide for Simon Désert to touch down. Enahemo Artaud converted for a 7-0 lead.

The French continued to dominate as Stephen Parez Edo crossed for a second try before Edo Martin capitalized on another defensive lapse to bag his brace, stretching the lead to 19-0 before halftime.

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Kenya Sevens finally responded through Patrick Odongo, who finished off a well-worked move down the right wing. His try, converted successfully, gave Shujaa a glimmer of hope at 19-7 heading into the break.

Despite a determined effort in the second half, Shujaa found themselves on the back foot once again. Gregoire Arfeuil added another try for France, taking the score to 26-7.

Kenya's Brian Tanga thought he had pulled one back, but his try was ruled out due to a forward pass. The final blow came when Celian Pouzelgues sprinted past Kenya's defense to score France’s fifth try, sealing a 33-7 victory.

The result leaves Kenya Sevens without a win in their first two matches, and out of contention for the main cup competition. They will, however, conclude their group-stage campaign against Great Britain at 10:58 p.m. on Saturday, aiming for a consolation win.

With Shujaa struggling in the World Rugby Sevens Series and currently in the relegation zone, their performance in Vancouver raises further concerns about their survival in the top tier of the series.

The team will need to regroup quickly to avoid further setbacks in upcoming tournaments.