- The Safari 7s 2025 kicked off on Friday, October 10, at Nyayo National Stadium.
- All Day One matches in the women’s category were successfully played, delivering an exciting start to the tournament.
- However, the men’s fixtures were disrupted, with only three out of six scheduled matches completed after the Nyayo Stadium floodlights failed later in the day.
The 27th edition of the Safari 7s 2025 got off to a fantastic start on Friday, October 10, at the Nyayo National Stadium, though the day wasn’t without its share of setbacks.
The three-day tournament began in the morning with the U16 matches, and the evening featured a blockbuster session of women’s category matches, where eight teams took the center stage.
Click here to view all the results for the women’s category.
Meanwhile, the men’s category was marred by some unfortunate technical issues. Not all the scheduled matches could be completed; of the six fixtures planned from the twelve participating teams, only three were played.
The day’s proceedings were halted just as Uganda and Nyati were about to take the turf for the fourth men’s match, as the Nyayo Stadium floodlights failed.
Despite efforts behind the scenes to resolve the problem, the remaining fixtures: Uganda vs Nyati, French Renegades vs UK Select, and Kenya Shujaa vs Walukuba Rugby, were postponed to Saturday.
The men’s national second team, Kenya Morans, were the curtain-raiser for the men’s category and delivered a commanding performance, defeating ReUnion 7s 24-0.
It was a fiercely contested match, with the Kenya side taking six minutes to find their rhythm and cross the whitewash.
Rayvon Ambale sliced through the ReUnion defence to give Morans a 7-0 lead after converting his own try.
Just before the halftime whistle, another debutant, Victor Mola, shrugged off the opponents’ defence to sprint down the right flank and extend Kenya’s lead to 14-0, following a successful conversion from Ambale.
The second half was just as dominant for the Morans.
Arnold Agonda, coming off the bench, touched down to stretch their lead to 19-0. Agonda then sealed the deal, scoring once more to secure a 24-0 victory and a perfect opener for the Morans.
The 2024 runners-up, Shogun Rugby, also launched their campaign on a high, managing to narrowly edge out a depleted yet dominant KCB side 17-14.
They were first on the scoreboard, taking a 7-0 lead just two minutes in after a successful conversion.
ALSO READ: Safari 7s 2025 fixtures and order of play
However, KCB responded moments later when Jenkins Kipruto scored a try, which Brian Wahinya converted to level the score at 7-7.
A defensive lapse from KCB just before halftime allowed Shogun to exploit an opening on the left wing, giving them a 12-7 lead at the break.
KCB redeemed themselves immediately after the second-half kickoff. Braton Lusisa surged down the left wing, using his pace to outstrip the Shogun defence and score.
His successful conversion, marking his first try for the Bankers since signing from Kabras, put KCB in front at 14-12.
However, in a see-saw encounter, Shogun surged ahead again as KCB’s defence was caught napping on the left flank, conceding a try that gave Shogun a 17-14 lead.
KCB fought hard for a comeback but were ultimately disappointed as Shogun held on for the 17-14 win in their opener.
With many of their key players called up for the national team, KCB will have two more matches to prove they can bounce back in this group.
Safari 7s 2025 Men’s Day One Results
- Kenya Morans 24-0 ReUnion
- Zimbabwe 33-17 Apache
- Shogun 17-14 KCB Rugby
Saturday Fixtures – Safari 7s 2025 Men’s Category
Uganda vs Nyati
French Renegades vs UK Select
Kenya Shujaa vs Walukuba Rugby
Kenya Morans vs Apache – 11:28
Zimbabwe vs ReUnion – 11:53
Shogun vs Nyati – 12:18
Uganda vs KCB – 12:43
French Renegades vs Walukuba Rugby – 13:08
Kenya Shujaa vs UK Select – 13:33