Kenya, Canada, Uruguay, and Tonga will vie for the 12th and final spot in the new-look men’s HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2024. These four teams are aware that this could be their last chance to compete at the top level for at least a year as the HSBC London Sevens approaches.
Joining the lineup is World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series 2023 winners Tonga, who will participate in the World Rugby Sevens Series 2024 Play-off at Twickenham this Saturday and Sunday.
The quartet will engage in a round-robin pool stage, playing three matches each. The top two teams will advance to a winner-takes-all play-off to secure their place in the 2024 Series.
Kenya, despite facing challenges in Toulouse where they suffered defeats against Canada and Uruguay, ended the weekend on a positive note by defeating the USA and Japan. These results propelled the Kenyan team to 13th place in France, instilling hope as they head to London to fight for their Series spot.
Captain Nelson Oyoo expressed the team’s determination, stating, “The boys are relaxed. They know what they need to do and what’s at stake. There’s pressure, but we’re trying as much as possible to keep calm and tackle the task at hand.”
One encouraging aspect for Kenya is their previous victory over Tonga this year. Tonga, having competed in Hamilton and Sydney as an invitational side, secured wins against Canada and Uruguay. However, Kenya prevailed with a 33-19 victory in New Zealand, with Tonga seeking redemption with a 26-24 triumph across the Tasman Sea.
Tonga’s captain, Sione Tupou, recognizes the challenge awaiting his team at Twickenham but is confident in their abilities to secure promotion. Tupou stated, “We know there’s an opportunity for us to be on the World Series, and it’s quite a challenge for us, but we’re going to give it our all. We’re confident with what we’ve got right now.”
Canada arrives in London with positive momentum after reaching the Cup semi-finals in Toulouse. Captain Phil Berna emphasized the importance of staying focused and not underestimating their opponents. He said, “Keeping level heads is going to be massive for us.”
Uruguay faced disappointment as they narrowly missed safety by one point, losing their core status to Spain. Despite this setback, captain Diego Ardao believes in his team’s ability to bounce back, stating, “We know what we can do.
We’ve been playing really good rugby, really good sevens. We are really confident about that, and that’s what we’ve got to grab from ourselves.”
With the stakes high and only one spot available, these four teams are prepared to leave everything on the field in their quest to secure their place in the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2024.
