- Kenya 7s co-captain George Ooro says they have gained significant confidence from the just-concluded Hong Kong 7s.
- They are now targeting a top-four finish in the HSBC World Championship to secure direct qualification for the 2028 Olympics.
- Shujaa managed a seventh-place finish in Hong Kong as they head into the second leg of the World Championship in Spain this May.
Kenya 7s co-captain George Ooro says they have gained confidence from the just-concluded Hong Kong 7s, adding that they will now chase a top-four finish in the HSBC World Championship for a direct Olympic qualification.
Ooro was among the squad that helped Shujaa qualify for the three-legged Championship – the pathway to the HSBC SVNS 1 next season.
In the first leg held on April 17-19 at the Kai Tak Sports, they managed to settle seventh overall after two victories and three defeats.
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Ooro targets championship top four as Kenya 7s build on Hong Kong momentum
Speaking to SportPesa after touching down on Tuesday,, Ooro mentioned that the tournament was solid despite a sluggish start where they dropped their first two matches in Pool C.
They were placed alongside Australia and New Zealand, falling to both sides before bouncing back to beat the USA Eagles and booked a slot in th emain cup quarterfinals.
“The tournament was good, we started on a very low note, but we picked up because you know these are sevens. Once you snooze, you lose. And just imagining us winning just one game and going through to the quarters and also fighting very hard and finishing seventh place,” he said.
Ooro stated that their aim heading into the championship was simply to crack the top eight the core teams for the Series 1 under the new format.
But after a seventh-place finish, they have realized they can aim higher, with a top-four spot now in their sights for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
“Everything is there for grabs. Our goal going into the championship was a top-eight finish. But we have realized we are capable of more. Now we want to push for the top four and even qualify for the Olympics. We are aiming higher,” he added.
Shujaa still have work to do with two legs remaining. They will first travel to Valladolid in Spain for the second leg on May 29–31, 2026, at the Estadio Jose Zorrilla, then head to Bordeaux from June 5–7, where they must secure a top-eight finish.
Ooro emphasized that their focus remains on breaking into the top eight and advancing beyond the quarterfinals, noting that finishing fifth or sixth is not always guaranteed once a team reaches that stage.
“The first goal is always to make the top eight, that means reaching the quarters. But we don’t want to stop there because, as you saw, from the quarters you can still end up playing for seventh or eighth. There’s no guarantee of fifth or sixth. So now we want to move faster and go further,” he said.
He added that the team is now setting its sights on the highest possible outcome.
“We have to go for the best the maximum we can achieve. That means reaching the final. In Spain, we’ll focus on making the top eight first, but once we get there, we’ll push for more. A podium finish is the target now.”
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In China, they secured seventh place after beating France 21–7 in the seventh-place playoff.
In the upcoming second leg, they have been drawn into a challenging Pool A, where they will face overall leaders and Hong Kong 7s champions South Africa, who previously edged them 26–22, as well as France and Great Britain.
Valladolid 7s Men’s Pools
- Pool A: South Africa, Australia, Kenya, Great Britain
- Pool B: Argentina, New Zealand, Uruguay, Germany
- Pool C: Spain, Fiji, France, United States
Women’s Pools
- Pool A: New Zealand, Japan, Brazil, Argentina
- Pool B: Australia, United States, Fiji,South Africa
- Pool C:France, Canada, Spain, Great Britain
Kenya 7s Hong Kong 7s Results
Friday, April 17
- Shujaa 5-14 Australia
- Shujaa 12-28 New Zealand
Saturday, April 18
- Shujaa 17-10 USA Eagles
- Shujaa 22-26 South Africa
Sunday, April 19
- Shujaa 21-7 France – Seventh place playoffs