- Shujaa were defeated 12-21 in the final by Fiji at the Singapore National Stadium on Sunday, April 6, 2025.
- Kenya was the first to strike, but after the break, Fiji mounted a strong comeback.
- Shujaa will now prepare for the relegation/promotion playoffs in Los Angeles this May.
The Kenya 7s team, Shujaa, fell short in the Singapore 7s main cup final, suffering a 12-21 defeat to Fiji on Sunday afternoon in a thrilling match at the Singapore National Stadium.
The Kevin Wambua charges will settle for second place despite their spirited performance throughout the competition.
In this sixth round, they began by knocking out Ireland and France in the group stages and then edged past Spain in the semifinals.
AS a results, this round of the HSBC Sevens World Series 2025 was undoubtedly the best performance the national team has displayed so far.
This leg marked Kenya’s finest performance in the 2025 series, as well as their first finals appearance since 2018, not including the 2021 season disrupted by the COVID pandemic.
Though the title eluded them, their remarkable resurgence deserves resounding applause.
However, Kenya, who had hoped to clinch the title and recreate history by defeating Fiji once again (after their victory in the 2016 Singapore Sevens), found themselves extending Fiji’s dominance over them to 15 consecutive matches. Kenya’s last win over Fiji dates back to 2018.
In pursuit of glory in Singapore, Shujaa had an advantage in the first half after Fiji were reduced to six men following a foul on Vincent Onyala.
Just before halftime, Kenya took the lead through Nygel Amaitsa. After a turnover, Onyala kicked the ball towards into acres of space and Amaitsa sprinted towards the try line, dodging defenders to score the first try that he successfully converted to give Kenya a 7-0 lead at the break.
Upon the resumption of the second half, Fiji leveled the score with a try by Viwa Naduvalo who added the extras after Kenya’s defense faltered.
Moments later, Naduvalo completed his double, slicing through Kenya’s defense to give Fiji a 14-7 lead following another successful conversion.
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Rauto Vakadranu extended Fiji’s lead with a try and a successful conversion, pushing the score to 21-7 after exploiting yet another defensive lapse from Kenya.
With just 30 seconds remaining, William Mwanji scored a try for Kenya, but it was not enough as Fiji sealed the 12-21 victory.
Despite their valiant efforts in Singapore, Kenya must now prepare for the relegation/promotion playoffs in Los Angeles this May having finished outside the top eight in the series standing.
Their performance will determine whether they secure a spot in the 2026 HSBC SVNS Series.
Shujaa’s Performance in Singapore 7s
- Shujaa 17-7 Ireland
- Shujaa 10-7 France
Singapore 7s Semifinals
- Shujaa 12-5 Spain
- Argentina 24-33 Fiji
Singapore 7s Finals
- Shujaa 12-21 Fiji
