The Kenya seven-a-side rugby team, Shujaa have been drawn in a tough Pool C as the three-leg World Rugby Sevens Championship kicks off in Hong Kong on April 17, 2026.

In Hong Kong, Shujaa will begin their campaign against Australia at the Kai Tak Sports Park before facing New Zealand and the USA. It was interesting that the two top teams at the end of the three-tournament Tier two competition were drawn in the same pool.

Shujaa already landed in Hong Kong and are keen to push for a return to the top tier. Kevin Wambua, the Shujaa coach, in an interview with www.thesportsnewsarena.com in Sao Paulo admitted the championship will be brutal. “We have to be clinical because any mistake will be punished,” he stated.

Kept Faith

The coach kept faith with the players who finished second in the Tier two competition making only one change naming Kabras scrum-half Brian Tanga and resting Chrisant Ojwang. He explained Ojwang had a niggling hamstring injury that required some rest. Ojwang’s physical presence will be missed but Tanga is up to the task and a good cover for Samuel Asati.

For Wambua and his charges, these are teams they have played against before and it is just a matter of engaging the next gear to ensure a good start to their dream of being elevated to the next tier. There is an added motivation after the title sponsors SportPesa complimented the team with a Ksh3.5 million bonus for finishing second in the Tier Two competition.

Similar expectations

George Ooro, the team captain, had similar expectations of Shujaa in Hong Kong. “We have been in this situation before and played the same teams. It won’t be easy but the boys are raring to go,” hebtold www.thesportsnewsarena.com in Sao Paulo where Kenya finished second overall.

Kenya’s participation brings to three, the number of African teams gunning for the top tier. The South Africa women’s team that dropped to the lowest tier have steadily climbed up within a season and are on the verge of promotion. The men’s team won the Top Tier League.

The squad: Brian Tanga, Kevin Wekesa (Kabras Sugar RFC), George Ooro, Samuel Asati, Vincent Onyala, Festus Shiasi, Floyd Wabwire, David Nyangige (Kenya Commercial Bank RFC), Denis Abukuse, John Okoth (Menengai Oilers), Nygel Amaitsa, Gabriel Ayimba (Strathmore University, Patrick Odongo (Daystar University Falcons).

Pools, Fixtures and Order of play.

Women

Pool A: New Zealand, Fiji, Japan, Brazil; Pool B: Australia, Canada, Great Britain, South Africa; Pool C: USA, France, Argentina, Spain.

France v Argentina, USA v Spain, Canada v Great Britain, Australia v South Africa, France v Spain, USA v Argentina, Canada v South Africa, Australia v Great Britain, Fiji v Japan, New Zealand v Brazil, Fiji v Brazil, New Zealand v Japan, Argentina v Spain, USA v France, Great Britain v South Africa, Australia v Canada, Japan v Brazil, New Zealand v Fiji, 

Men

Pool A: South Africa, Argentina, Spain, Uruguay; Pool B: Fiji, France, Great Britain, Germany; Pool C: Australia, New Zealand, USA, Kenya.Argentina v Spain, South Africa v Uruguay, France v Great Britain, Fiji v Germany, Argentina v Uruguay, South Africa v Spain, France v Germany, Fiji v Great Britain, New Zealand v USA, Australia v Kenya,New Zealand v Kenya, Australia v USA, Spain v Uruguay, South Africa v Argentina, Great Britain v Germany, Fiji v France, USA v Kenya, Australia v New Zealand.