It was a three-day rugby action filled weekend as teams battled out in this year's Safari Sevens tournament held at Kenyatta Stadium in Machakos County. The tournament began on Friday 13th October. Kenya Morans began their day with a loss to the Red Wailers. After winning the next two matches against Uganda 7s and Kenya Harlequins, they drew their final pool match against Shogun (formerly known as Samurai), last year's runners-up. Morans' win over Lions Rugby from the UK earned them a spot in the quarterfinals. They narrowly defeated them 19-17.

On their part, Shujaa enjoyed a strong start to the tournament, winning all their pool matches against Zimbabwe (19-14), Varsity Select (44-0), Lions Rugby (24-14), and Qatar (40-0). Shujaa then faced Uganda in the quarterfinals, defeating their neighbors 27-12. The victories of Shujaa and Morans in the quarterfinals led to an all-Kenyan semifinal matchup.

Morans started strongly, scoring the first try through Festus Shiasi in a closely contested match. Shujaa quickly responded with a try from Benson Salem, followed by another try from Brian Mutugi just before halftime. Dennis Abukuse successfully converted both tries, giving Shujaa a 14-5 lead at halftime.

Brian Mutua's try at the beginning of the second half, converted by Dennis Abukuse, gave Shujaa the lead. Morans fought back with a try from Mike Wekusa, converted by Brian Ondego. Floyd Wabwire's late try for Morans was not enough to overcome Shujaa's lead, as Shujaa won the match 21-19.

Shujaa faced Shogun in the Final. Shogun had beaten Zimbabwe in the other semifinal 34-14. Shogun were hoping to have one over Shujaa in this year's final. It was a highly contested final, tempers flared and there were visible confrontations between players at breakdowns. The tough contest ended with no points on the board at halftime.

Shujaa's clinical finishing in the second half was crucial. Their two tries from Patrick Odongo and Benson Salem sealed the victory, allowing them to claim the 2024 Safari Sevens championship for the second consecutive year. This was the third time Shujaa had faced Shogun in the final. They had won their first encounter but lost the previous one, making this victory especially satisfying.

Lionesses Runners-up Again

The Lionesses reached the final again after narrowly defeating last year's champions, Uganda, 15-14, in the semifinals. In the other semifinal, Costablanca Barbarians defeated Shogun Women's Rugby 19-7. The final between Lionesses and Costablanca ended in a 24-10 victory for Costablanca, making them the champions. This marked the second consecutive year that Lionesses finished as runners-up.

Feature Image Credit: Safari 7s