George Ooro, in a candid interview with www.thesportsnewsarena.com admitted that the national seven-a-side rugby team, Shujaa did not do enough to qualify for the newly created elite top eight category by World Rugby.

At the start of the campaign for the three-leg championship stage, it was clear that Shujaa needed to step up and be ruthless in their approach to ensure a return to the top tier. They showed glimpses of their capability at the start of the competition in Hong Kong but at the final event in Bordeaux, France, the Kenyans depended on results of other teams to qualify.

This did not happen as Shujaa crucially missed qualification by just one point surrendering the spot to a determined USA team whose chances appeared bleak despite winning the three-leg second tier competition. 

Intensity Level

In his assessment, Ooro, the Shujaa captain, admitted the championship was very competitive and the intensity was at another level.  “We learned hard lessons. Most importantly we needed to be consistent. It was not about doing well in the first, second or third leg. The championship was won on the last day,” he explained.

Although the feeling in the Shujaa camp was that of a sure qualification, the performance on the pitch fell short of these expectations. Was it over confidence? “We were very sure that we would qualify. It was unfortunate we fell short,” recalls Ooro. He explained: “You cannot depend on other teams for results, you have to make the effort and qualify for yourselves.Take for example the USA, they had one point in Hong Kong, won the tier two but qualified in Bordeaux, France.”

The realization of playing another year in the second tier competition is a motivation for Shujaa to raise their game when the season starts. “We are back to 7s 2 and this is another journey. We will work hard to qualify,” the captain promises.

Team Overconfidence

Re-visiting a perceived overconfidence in the team, Ooro breaks it down by saying: “Not really. We never got our opportunities right . In sevens once you snooze, you lose. We slackened and that is why we lost crucial matches that cost us the qualification. We never gave our best. We will tick more boxes. You need to be patient with ourselves. We will qualify for the top tier. It was ours for the taking,” he offered.

In an interview, Ooro admitted: “We lost because of some mistakes we made. We have things to work on and the promise is that we will be back there.” The signs were evident from Kenya’s performance in the second tier competition over three legs in Kenya, Uruguay and Brazil. “Our performance in 7s 2 was lukewarm. “In our home tournament, and Uruguay, we finished third. In Sao Paulo we finished second. We did not win any leg,” Ooro recalled. 

But, the focus this season is different. “The challenge this time is to win. Qualification for the Olympics will be tough from our region because other teams also want to qualify. We cannot underrate any team. It will depend on how much you want it. We will be hungry for a win and as much as we respect the other teams we shall be better. You have to work very hard to make it to the top eight which is also competitive. We have an idea what it is like to play in the top eight.”

Shujaa Struggled

When asked why Shujaa struggled to win against teams who have not played in the World Rugby Sevens World Series, Ooro admitted they played hard against some of the top teams in the top tier but dropped to the level of teams in the lower division. This is how Shujaa missed finishing top in Sao Paulo where they were beaten by Belgium, the eventual winners of the Sao Paulo leg.

Occasionally, Kenya lost to Germany, Uruguay and Chile. Ooro’s confidence is supported by the recognition of Kenya’s players in top competition where they are invited to play along others who compete in the top tier. One of such competitions is the Rugby Premier League that was started in India last year.

Such competition will help develop Shujaa’s players. “ It adds more experience since you meet some of the people you play against regularly. It gives you an insight about how the other teams play. Unfortunately, these other teams will also learn about us,” Ooro admits.

In conclusion, Ooro who will be one of the 14 players invited to the inaugural Ultimate Sevens competition promised that they will work harder. “We have a different focus,” he promised.