Shujaa cruise past Canada to book World Championship berth
By Joel Masibo, March 29, 2026Kenya national rugby sevens team delivered a commanding performance to secure qualification for the 2026 World Championship Series after thrashing Canada national rugby sevens team 40-0 at the third leg of the HSBC SVNS 2 in São Paulo on Saturday night, March 28, 2026.
The emphatic victory marked Kenya’s second win of the day, a result that guaranteed them a top-four finish and progression to the high-stakes championship round, which serves as a gateway to next season’s elite HSBC SVNS circuit.
Heading into the decisive leg, Shujaa were placed third overall with 32 points and needed at least two victories to remain in contention. They began their campaign in style, overpowering the German national rugby sevens team 38-7, before narrowly falling 14-12 to a strong Belgium national rugby sevens team side in their second outing.
Dominant display against Canada
Kenya wasted no time asserting themselves in their final match of the day. Vincent Onyala opened the scoring with an early try, though the conversion attempt drifted wide.
Moments later, Onyala turned provider and finisher, chasing down his own kick to touch down for Kenya’s second try. Nygel Amaitsa added the conversion to stretch the lead.
Shujaa continued to pile on the pressure, with Amaitsa setting up Festus Shiasi for another try out wide. The successful conversion handed Kenya a comfortable 19-0 advantage at halftime.
After the break, George Oroo powered through the Canadian defence to extend the lead further, with Amaitsa once again adding the extras.
Kenya’s attacking rhythm remained relentless as Samuel Asati combined well with Amaitsa, who finished off another move and converted his own try to make it 33-0.
Vincent Onyala came close to completing a hat-trick but opted for a team-first approach, setting up Dennis Bukuse to cross the line and round off the scoring.
Eyes on the bigger prize
The comprehensive win confirmed Shujaa’s place in the upcoming World Championship event in Hong Kong, where they will battle for a top-eight finish and a return to the top-tier HSBC SVNS competition next season.
With earlier bronze-medal finishes in Nairobi and Montevideo, the Kenyan side will now look to maintain their momentum and mount a serious title challenge as the tournament continues in Brazil on Sunday, March 29, 2026.