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Valladolid 7s: Shujaa fall to France, settle for 8th place
31st May, 2026 05:05 PM
Kenya Shujaa has concluded their penultimate leg of the HSBC SVNS World Championship push with a 14–5 loss to France, settling for eighth place this Sunday, May 31, 2026.
The finish is a position lower than their seventh-place finish at the Hong Kong circuit, which concluded on Sunday, April 20.
The leg in Spain proved a tough ask for Kevin Wambua’s side, who slumped to defeats in their opening two group matches.
A spirited start against the Wallabies, inspired by brilliant tries from Patrick Odongo and co-captain Samwel Asati, was not enough as the team fell 15–10 to Australia before South Africa compounded matters for them in a 14–0 loss.
Out of main Cup
Shujaa secured their first victory in Valladolid, edging Great Britain 12–7 in a tense must-win pool A clash.
Festus Shiasi and Patrick Odongo crossed the whitewash as Shujaa kept their hopes alive with a hard-fought win, sealing a place in the last eight.
The win set up a quarter-final clash with Australia, where the rivals cemented their dominance with a 21–0 shutout to curtail the team’s progress from the main cup.
In the classification matches, Kenya’s chance to improve its ranking fell short against French opposition. The team bowed out in eighth place, averaging 71 points conceded, 27 points scored, five tries scored, and only a single conversion made.
Heading forward, to qualify for the HSBC SVNS and attain top-tier status, Shujaa needs to secure a quarterfinal berth in the final leg in France to earn promotion after their eighth-place finish. The Bordeaux leg in France will start on Friday, June 5, as aggregate points from all three legs determine the champions.
