HSBC SVNS 2: Shujaa begin campaign with convincing win over Canada
By Joel Masibo, February 14, 2026The national men’s rugby sevens side, Shujaa, just like their female counterparts, made an emphatic start to their campaign on home turf, overpowering Canada 29-12 in their opening fixture of the 2026 HSBC SVNS 2 at Nyayo National Stadium on Saturday morning, February 14, 2026.
Off to a perfect start
Backed by an energetic home crowd, Kenya 7s came out firing from the first whistle, applying early pressure and dictating the tempo of the contest. Their intent quickly paid off when Patrick Odongo showcased his pace and awareness, releasing a neat offload on the right before sprinting clear to touch down for the opening try.
Nygel Amaitsa calmly slotted the conversion to hand the hosts a 7-0 advantage. Moments later, Chrisant Ojwang’ exploited space on the left flank to ground the ball under the posts, stretching Kenya’s lead to 12-0, though the conversion attempt drifted wide.
Shujaa maintained control of proceedings, with Odongo grabbing his second try after finishing off a slick move initiated by Amaitsa. The scoreline widened to 17-0 before Canada managed to respond just before halftime. Morgan Di Nardo powered over for their first points, and Lachlan Kratz added the extras to reduce the deficit to 17-7 at the break.
The visitors returned for the second half with renewed determination. Kalin Sager crossed over on the wing, narrowing the margin and briefly shifting momentum in Canada’s favour.
However, Amaitsa restored order with a moment of brilliance, slicing through the defence to score beneath the posts before converting his own try to push Kenya further ahead at 24-12.
Substitute Festus Shaiusi then capped off the performance with a late try in the corner, sealing a comprehensive 29-12 triumph and igniting celebrations among the home supporters.
Attention now turns to their next assignment against Belgium at 1:52 pm local time, as Shujaa look to strengthen their defensive structure and maintain their winning momentum before concluding the day’s action against Germany.
Saturday men’s fixtures
USA 40-0 Belgium
Uruguay 14-19 Germany
Kenya 29-12 Canada
Uruguay vs USA
Germany vs Canada
Kenya vs Belgium
USA vs Canada
Uruguay vs Belgium
Kenya vs Germany