- Kenya’s 7s teams, the Kenya Lionesses and Shujaa, will be in action on Saturday, March 21, in the second leg of the HSBC SVNS 2 in Montevideo, Uruguay.
- Shujaa head into the fixtures sitting third overall, while the Kenya Lionesses occupy fifth place on the standings.
- Shujaa’s second-leg campaign begins with a fiery rematch against the USA Eagles 7s on Saturday, March 21, at 6:32 pm EAT.
Kenya’s national rugby sevens teams; the Kenya Lionesses (women) and Shujaa(men), will be in action on Saturday in the second leg of the HSBC SVNS 2 in Montevideo, Uruguay at the Estadio Charrua.
This marks their second outing under the revamped new format of the HSBC SVNS, and both squads will be aiming to go even better than they did in the first leg, which they hosted back in February at the Nairobi’s Nyayo National Stadium.
Shujaa travel to South America sitting in third place on the log with 16 points, trailing first-place Germany and second-place USA, who have 20 and 18 points respectively. Thus, Kevin Wambua’s charges have everything to fight for in this round, hoping they can elevate their performance.
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Shujaa HSBC SVSN 2 Montevideo leg preview
While finishing third at home was a decent result, they will be looking to bag more, with their sights set on returning to the HSBC SVNS 1 next season.
Shujaa’s second-leg campaign kicks off with a fiery rematch against the USA Eagles 7s on Saturday, March 21, at 6:32 pm EAT, and they will be eager to avenge their Nairobi loss.
After surviving a tight contest with Canada, they will face them again in the day’s second match at 9:20 pm EAT, then wrap up Saturday with a clash against Belgium at midnight.
Sunday’s action features two fixtures: Germany at 9:55 pm, followed by a final showdown against Uruguay at 12:48 am (Monday).
Speaking ahead of the series fixtures, Shujaa coach Kevin Wambua stated that they will be going all out to ensure they reclaim their spot in the top tier on the global stage.
“As we head into the second leg in Montevideo, the goal remains to stay in the top four and give ourselves a chance to compete for promotion to SVNS 1 in the championships. I believe the boys are ready for the challenge.”
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The coach has already named a strong 14-man squad that will be spearheaded by the two co-captains, George Ooro and Samwel Asati, with speedy wingers Floyd Wabwire and Patrick Odongo also in the mix.
Vincent Onyala and Brian Tanga, who makes a comeback after a lengthy injury, as well as Chrisant Ojwang, will add to the mix and bring their experience to the table.
Kenya Lionesses preview
Meanwhile, on the women’s side, the Kenya Lionesses have their work cut out for them as they aim to bounce back from the first leg at home, which was a real disappointment for them.
The Simon Odongo charges will be seeking to at least crack the top four to stay safe after finishing fifth in Nairobi with 12 points, having managed to escape with just a single win.
Speaking after naming the squad, the Lionesses head coach underlined the importance of the upcoming legs as the team pushes to secure promotion to the HSBC SVNS Championship.
“The team is ready for the remaining two-leg assignment. Our focus is clear: we want to finish in the top three in both legs so that we can secure our place in the Championship,” said Odongo.
After a tough outing in the first leg, Odongo has rung the changes from the side that finished fifth on home soil.
The refreshed squad sees the return of key players, led by Judith Auma, who makes a comeback after time on the sidelines following an injury sustained during the qualifier tournament in Los Angeles.
Joining her is Faith Livoi, who was also left out of the Nairobi leg, alongside Christabel Lindo, who has been called up for these two crucial tournaments as they aim to keep their hopes of promotion to the HSBC SVNS 1 next season firmly alive.
ALSO READ: Kenya Lionesses name final squad for HSBC SVNS 2 legs in Uruguay & Brazil
From the 12-player squad named for Nairobi, two players have been dropped. Key figure Grace Okulu will miss out due to club commitments in France, while Phoebe Akinyi also makes way.
Kenya Lionesses will kick off their campaign against China at 5:00 pm EAT, before taking on Argentina and rounding off day one with a clash against Spain.
They will wrap up the leg with matches against South Africa and Brazil on day two.
Once all three legs are wrapped up, the top four teams will join the top eight from the World Championship Series in their own three-leg event.
In the end, the top eight of the 12 eams will lock in their spot in the SVNS Division 1 for 2027.
Kenya Lionesses & Shujaa squads for Uruguay and Brazil
Kenya Lionesses: Naomi Amuguni, Charity Nillah, Christabel Lindo, Sheila Chajira, Stellah Wafula, Faith Livoi, Edith Nariaka, Judith Auma, Sinaida Mokaya, Moreen Muritu, Janet Okello, Freshia Oduor, Marvel Oswago.
Shujaa: George Ooro (C), Samuel Asati (C), John Okoth, Dennis Abukuse, Vincent Onyala, Kevin Wekesa, Patrick Odongo, Festus Shiasi, Nygel Amaitsa, Floyd Wabwire, Chrisant Ojwang, David Nyangige, Gabriel Ayimba and Brian Tanga.
Kenya 7s Schedule – HSBC SVNS 2 in Montevideo, Uruguay (March 21–22, 2026)
Kickoff in East African Time EAT.
Kenya Lionesses
Saturday, March 21
- Kenya Lionesses vs China – 5:00 pm
- Kenya Lionesses vs Argentina – 8:34 pm
- Kenya Lionesses vs Spain – 10:59 pm
Sunday, March 22
- Kenya Lionesses vs South Africa – 8:23 pm
- Kenya Lionesses vs Brazil – 10:53 pm
Shujaa
Saturday, March 21
- Shujaa vs USA – 6:32 pm
- Shujaa vs Canada – 9:20 pm
- Shujaa vs Belgium – 12:08 am (Monday)
Sunday, March 22
- Shujaa vs Germany – 9:55 pm
- Shujaa vs Uruguay – 12:48 am (Monday)