- Kenya 7s suffered a disappointing start to the Bordeaux 7s, falling to Fiji on Friday, June 5, at Stade de Bordeaux.
- Shujaa went down 31-12 after Fiji produced a dominant second-half display to pull away from the Kenyans.
- Shujaa will now look to bounce back when they face South Africa at 9:36pm EAT in their second Pool B match.
Spirited Kenya 7s kicked off the Bordeaux 7s in less-than-ideal fashion, watching a second-half demolition by Fiji hand them a 31-12 loss on Friday afternoon at Stade de Bordeaux.
Just seconds after kickoff, Shujaa, who desperately need a top-eight finish in this round, found themselves trailing.
David Nyangige’s kickoff was collected by Terio Veilawa, who sliced through the Kenyan defence down the right wing before touching down and converting his own try to hand Fiji a 7-0 lead.
However, Shujaa responded brilliantly with a try of their own. After a loose ball spilled onto the turf during a scramble, speedster Patrick Odongo reacted quickest, nudging the ball forward before chasing it down and grounding it for a try. Nyangige added the conversion to level matters at 7-7.
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A dramatic end to the first half saw Kenya come close to taking the lead before Fiji turned the tables in an instant.
The Fijians crossed over through Gerage Bose on the right wing despite a sensational defensive effort from Kevin Wekesa, who nearly bundled him into touch. Fiji headed into the break with a 12-7 advantage.
Shujaa came out strongly in the second half and managed to narrow the gap through a superb individual effort from Wekesa.
Spotting space in the middle, he shrugged off several defenders and raced over the whitewash. Nyangige’s conversion attempt narrowly struck the upright, leaving the score at 12-12.
Just when Shujaa thought they had grabbed the momentum, Fiji struck again.
Right after the restart, Kavekini Tanivanuakula punished them, with Sakiusa Siqila adding the extras. Fiji then poured it on with another try from Apete Narogo, stretching the lead to 26-12 as Siqila converted again.
Despite showing plenty of fighting spirit, Shujaa got burned once more by slow defensive reactions. Fiji wrapped things up with Narogo’s second try, sealing a 31-12 victory.
Shujaa will now be looking to tighten up their defence ahead of their next fixture against South Africa later in the day. It will be the third meeting between the two sides in this year’s Championships, with Kenya hoping to keep their Main Cup quarter-final ambitions alive.
Kenya 7s Bordeaux 7s results, fixtures, play times, and schedule
Friday June 5
- Shujaa 12–31 Fiji – 3:44pm EAT
- Shujaa vs South Africa – 9:36pm
Saturday June 6
- Shujaa vs Great Britain – 11:44am
- Quarterfinals – 4:30–9:22pm
Sunday June 7
Final
Playoffs / Semis