For the first time this season, Shujaa, the national Sevens rugby men’s team booked their ticket to the HSBC Singapore Sevens Cup semi-finals, finishing top of Pool B.
The Kevin Wambua side won all their pool matches to sail to the semifinals with a 17-7 beating of Ireland and a 10-7 win over Olympic champions France.
Shujaa opened their campaign, playing in the first game against Ireland in the first match of the men’s competition. An early try and conversion from Nygel Amaitsa, saw Shujaa lead 7-0 inside the opening two minutes, before Kevin Wekesa went over in the sixth to take the score to 12-0 in the half-time break.
Patrick Odongo would go over the try line in the 12th minute to take the score to 17-0, before Ireland’s Josh Costello went over to make it 17-7 at full-time, after Mark Roche’s conversion.
Shujaa drew first blood in the second pool game against France, Vincent Onyala slicing through the French defence, in the third minute, with Nygel Amaitsa adding the extras for a 7-0 lead going into the half-time break. The Olympic gold medalists would reply soon after the break drawing level through a Quere Kabaka try and Enahemo Artaud conversion.
In the dying minutes of the second half, Shujaa would win a penalty 40 meters out, dead center, opting to go for the kick, Nygel Amaitsa splitting the uprights to win the game, 10-7 and book the team’s first semifinal berth since being promoted back to the World series in the 2024/25 season.
Shujaa’s opponent will be known later in the day after the last round of pool games, with the first Cup semifinal set for 9:34AM on Sunday, 6th April, 2025.
Shujaa, will be making their maiden appearance in the Cup semifinals since returning to the top tier this season.
Semifinal pairing and timing
9:34 AM – Cup Semi Final
Kenya 7s vs Spain 7s
9:56 AM – Cup Semi Final
Argentina 7s vs Fiji 7s