Kenya 7s conceded five tries in their Perth 7s opener, falling 29-14 to New Zealand in a match held in Australia on Friday.
This was the first meeting between Shujaa and the All Blacks 7s in the World Sevens Series since May 2023. Shujaa had not beaten New Zealand in their last 12 meetings.
Kenya 7s win over NZ
Their last victory came on April 8, 2018, when Collins Injera scored twice to lead Kenya to a 21-12 semifinal win in the Hong Kong Sevens, propelling Shujaa to their first-ever Cup final.
From the kickoff, New Zealand turned defence into attack as teenager Frank Vaenuku marked his debut with a try just 30 seconds into the match. Ngarohi McGarvey-Black added the conversion for a 7-0 lead.
After a long spell of defending, Kenya’s skipper George Ooro broke through two tackles to score under the posts, with Nygel Pettersan Amaitsa’s conversion levelling the scores at 7-7 in the seventh minute.
Regan Ware’s late first-half try restored New Zealand’s lead, making it 14-7 at halftime.
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In the second half, Patrick Odongo showcased his pace, outpacing defenders to score a try converted by Amaitsa, tying the game at 14-14. However, celebrations were short-lived as Andrew Knewstubb capitalized on a ruck to score, reclaiming the lead for New Zealand at 19-14.
Cody added another try to stretch the margin before McGarvey-Black’s quick reaction off a lineout sealed the 29-14 victory for New Zealand.
Shujaa will be back in action against Fiji at 10:59.
