Kenya’s national men and women’s rugby 7s teams have secured berths in the World Rugby 7s Challenger Series final following impressive victories over Uruguay and Argentina, respectively.
In a thrilling semi-final at the Sevens Stadium in Dubai, Shujaa demonstrated their prowess by defeating Uruguay 21-5 on Sunday afternoon.
Patrick Odongo, maintaining his exceptional form in the tournament, achieved a remarkable hattrick of tries. Co-captain Tony Omondi added three successful conversions, sealing the victory for Kenya.
Odongo wasted no time, scoring the opening try in the second minute, and swiftly followed up with a second two minutes later, both skillfully converted by Omondi. Shortly after the restart, Odongo completed his hattrick, marking his ninth try in the tournament, with Omondi converting once again for a commanding 21-0 lead. Despite a consolation try by Bautista Basso for the Latin Americans in the 12th minute, Shujaa emerged victorious.
In the final, Shujaa will face Chile, who secured their spot by beating Germany 15-7 in the other semi-final.
Meanwhile, the Lionesses faced Argentina in their semi-final clash, securing a dominant 17-0 victory. A fortunate third-minute yellow card to Sofia Gonzalez provided an advantage for Kenya. Judith Okumu made the most of the opportunity, scoring the first try and giving Kenya a 5-0 lead at halftime.
Continuing their momentum, the Lionesses added another try after the interval, with Naomi Amuguni scoring the second try, converted by Sinaida Nyachio. Nyachio then sealed the victory with the third try in the 11th minute, ensuring a comprehensive win over Argentina.
The Lionesses are now set to face China in the final, a rematch of their Pool B encounter on Friday, which the Kenyans won 17-12. The stage is set for an exciting showdown as both Kenyan teams vie for the championship titles in the World Rugby 7s Challenger Series.
