Kenya’s national rugby sevens team, Shujaa, began their campaign at the Bordeaux Sevens, the third and final leg of the 2026 HSBC SVNS World Championship Series, with a 31-12 defeat to Fiji on Friday at the Stade de Bordeaux in France.
Fiji made a dream start to the Pool A encounter, taking the lead inside the opening minute when Terio Veilawa collected David Nyangige’s kickoff and raced over for a converted try to hand the Pacific Islanders a 7-0 advantage.
Shujaa responded three minutes later through Patrick Odongo, who executed a well-timed kick-and-chase before grounding the ball for Kenya’s opening try. Nyangige successfully added the conversion to level the scores at 7-7.
Kenya appeared to gain momentum after Fiji’s Kavekini Tanivanuakula was shown a yellow card, but the East Africans were unable to make their numerical advantage count.
A second kick-and-chase attempt by Odongo narrowly failed when he could not ground the ball, allowing Fiji to launch a swift counterattack. The move ended with George Bose crossing over for Fiji’s second try. Although Veilawa missed the conversion, Fiji carried a 12-7 lead into halftime.
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Shujaa fight back
Shujaa fought back shortly after the restart when Kevin Wekesa broke through the Fijian defence to score Kenya’s second try. Nyangige’s conversion attempt drifted wide, leaving the scores tied at 12-12.
However, Fiji quickly regained control. Tanivanuakula atoned for his earlier yellow card by sprinting down the right wing for a try, which was converted by Sakiusa Siqila to restore Fiji’s lead at 19-12.
Kenya coach Kevin Wambua responded by introducing Brian Tanga and Jackson Siketi in place of Nyangige and Samuel Asati, but Fiji continued to dominate the closing stages.
Apete Narogo crossed over for Fiji’s fourth try, with Siqila adding the extras to stretch the lead to 26-12. Narogo then completed his brace in the final minute, although the conversion was missed, sealing a 31-12 victory for Fiji.
The defeat leaves Shujaa searching for their first win of the tournament as they continue their quest to retain their place among the top eight teams in the HSBC SVNS Series standings.
Kenya entered the Bordeaux Sevens eighth overall with 14 points, level with seventh-placed France, making every result crucial in the battle to secure Division I status for next season.
Shujaa Next Match
Shujaa will return to action later on Friday when they face South Africa in their final match of the day, scheduled for 9:36 p.m. East Africa Time.
