- Shujaa off to a perfect start on home soil, brushing aside Canada in the 2026 HSBC SVNS 2 opener on Saturday morning at Nyayo Stadium.
- Kenya 7s secured a 29-12 victory, fueled by the electric support of the home crowd.
- Shujaa now turn their attention to tightening their defense as they gear up to face Belgium at 1:52 PM.
The men’s national 7s side, Shujaa, got off to a brilliant start on home soil, brushing aside a daring Canada 7s 29-12 in their opening match of the 2026 HSBC SVNS 2 at Nairobi’s Nyayo National Stadium on Saturday morning.
Fueled by the early morning energy and electric atmosphere from the fans, Shujaa burst out of the blocks with serious intent.
They immediately turned the screws on Canada’s defence, and it didn’t take long to strike.
Speedster Patrick Odongo produced a clever offload on the right wing before racing all the way to the try line, handing Kenya the early advantage. Amaitsa added the extras with a tidy conversion to make it 7-0.
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Shujaa brush aside Canada in HSBC SVNS 2 opener
Chrisant Ojwang’ soon doubled the lead after spotting a gap on the left flank and stretching out to dot down under the posts. Although the conversion drifted wide, Kenya had built a commanding 12-0 cushion.
Shujaa’s momentum showed no signs of slowing.
Odongo grabbed his second of the day after latching onto a sharp offload from Nygel Amaitsa on the opposite wing, powering through to stretch the lead to 17-0.
Just before the break, Canada finally found a foothold. Morgan Di Nardo powered over for their first try, and Lachlan Kratz added the conversion to cut the deficit to 17-7 at halftime.
The second half began with Canada showing renewed urgency. Kalin Sager finished sharply on the right wing to bring the visitors within five points, suddenly turning up the heat on the hosts.
That’s when Amaitsa stepped up to steady the ship. With a moment of brilliance, he sliced through Canada’s defense, carved his way between the sticks, and extended Kenya’s lead to 24-12 – then coolly converted his own try.
In the dying minutes, super sub Festus Shaiusi made his entrance count. He powered through in the right corner to hand Shujaa a commanding 29-12 victory, sealing a memorable opener and sending the home fans into a frenzy.
Shujaa now shift focus to shoring up their defensive shape as they prepare to face Belgium at 1:52 PM, hoping to build on their dominant start before wrapping up the day against Germany.
HSBC SVNS 2 Nairobi: Saturday men’s full fixtures, schedule & kick-off times
Nyayo National Stadium, Nairobi – 14–15 February 2026
Saturday, 14 February 2026
Men’s Matches
- 10:06 – USA 7s 40-0 Belgium 7s
- 10:28 – Uruguay 7s 14-19 Germany 7s
- 10:50 – Kenya 7s 29-12 Canada 7s
- 13:08 – Uruguay 7s vs USA 7s
- 13:30 – Germany 7s vs Canada 7s
- 13:52 – Kenya 7s vs Belgium 7s
- 16:10 – USA 7s vs Canada 7s
- 16:32 – Uruguay 7s vs Belgium 7s
- 16:54 – Kenya 7s vs Germany 7s