Gov’t reaffirms support for Shujaa despite missing HSBC Division 1 target

The Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Sports, Elijah Mwangi, has reiterated the government’s will to continue supporting the national rugby sevens team, Shujaa.

Mwangi made the remarks in Bordeaux France, where Shujaa finished 11th after what he described as “a phenomenal performance” following their 26-7 win over Uruguay on Sunday in the final leg of the HSBC SVNS World Championship.

Despite their win, Kenya saw the dream of punching a ticket to the HSBC SVNS go up in smoke after the USA defeated Fiji 17-14, confirming Shujaa’s place in Division 2.

The result capped a disappointing weekend in France for Kevin Wambua’s charges, who managed only one win from five matches and ultimately fell short in their bid to retain a place in the top tier of the global sevens circuit.

“Our boys have been well facilitated and demonstrated good energy and I know going forward we will make it. I want to thank the president for all the support he has given this team and all the supporters who walk with this team through thick and thin.

Our boys showed resilience and we hope for the best going forward so that we can eventually transition to Division One. Our ultimate target is to ascend to HSBC SVNS DIV 1 and showcase our spectacular sporting prowess against the best in the global rugby arena,” Said Mwangi.

The outcome represents a bitter end to a season for Shujaa who had shown glimpses of promise, including memorable performances on the world stage and signs of progress under coach Wambua.

However, inconsistency throughout the campaign and a poor showing in Bordeaux ultimately left Shujaa vulnerable in a season where the margin for error was significantly reduced by the competition’s restructuring.

Kenya will now turn their attention to Division 2, where they will seek to regroup and launch another bid for promotion back to the top tier of world sevens rugby.