Andrew Amonde, the Strength and Conditioning coach for Shujaa, the Kenyan national men’s rugby team, is optimistic about the team’s performance in the upcoming opening round of the World Rugby Challenger Series scheduled for January in Dubai.
Drawn in Pool C alongside Uganda, Germany, and Mexico, Amonde sees the challenge as an opportunity for Shujaa to secure promotion back to the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series.
Amonde emphasized the team’s focus on achieving their goals and viewed the pool matchups as manageable challenges. Even with a recent setback with the canceled Dubai Invitation Sevens trip, Amonde believes the team’s preparation for the January 12-14 event remains on track.
He stated, “Our main focus is just to set their minds right on what’s ahead of them and refocus ourselves and work very hard to be able to go out and qualify on the stage that we want to qualify for.”
The Challenger Series will also serve as a pathway to the HSBC Sevens Series in 2025, with the top four men’s and women’s teams after the third round earning an opportunity to compete in the high-stakes relegation play-off during the SVNS Grand Final in Madrid on May 31-June 2 next year.
In the women’s category, the Kenyan team, Lionesses, will compete in Pool B against Mexico, Czech Republic, and China.
The tournament structure offers both Shujaa and Lionesses a chance to showcase their prowess and make significant strides in the global rugby sevens arena.
