Vincent Onyala, co-captain of the National Rugby Sevens team, expressed the team’s joy at securing their place in the HSBC World Rugby Sevens playoffs in Madrid, Spain.
This achievement came after they finished fifth in the final Challenger Sevens Series leg in Munich, Germany, over the weekend.
Despite a setback with a 19-17 loss to hosts Germany in the cup quarter-final, Shujaa bounced back impressively. They defeated neighbors Uganda 48-0, securing their spot in Madrid.
“It feels good, it’s a place we had planned to build up to and going to Madrid we hope our ambitions are going to be fulfilled. First of all more opportunities will be there for Kenyans at home and even the experience of the new boys who have experienced what it means to play in a world series just donning the jersey, playing the best, it’s a great thing that I’m hoping my boys will experience,” said Onyala.
Onyala, who scored two tries over the weekend, thanked the Kenyan fans who showed up in Munich, saying it gave them the much-needed push to perform well.
“We are very proud to have our fans behind us because everywhere we go they sort of give us that home advantage by playing with somebody who knows Swahili, telling you, twende twende (lets go, let’s go) and just giving you that home vibe,” he noted.
Shujaa will now head to Miramas, France for a training camp before heading to Madrid for the final showdown, as they seek to return to the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series.
Shujaa were relegated from the top league last season for the first time in nineteen years, and are hoping to secure a direct return to the global competition.
