Contract standoff between KRU and Kenya Sevens affects HSBC SVNS preparations
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Reading Time: 2min | Mon. 28.10.24. | 13:12
The team returned to the prestigious series after beating Germany 33-15 in the HSBC Sevens Challenger Series playoffs held in June.
With less than 35 days to go before the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series kicks off, one would expect the Kenya 7s national team, Shujaa, to be deep into training, rigorously preparing for the global stage.
However, the reality paints a starkly different picture: the team is not even in camp, let alone under contract. This raises serious concerns about their readiness for the high-stakes competition ahead, especially with their rival teams fine-tuning their skills.
Since the expiration of their 2023/24 contracts in August, both the players and the technical bench have been left without renewed contracts. Following careful deliberations, the players and coaching staff made the difficult decision to halt training until they reach a new agreement with the Kenya Rugby Union (KRU).
They have not trained for the past week, which is likely to affect their preparations for the HSBC World Rugby 7s Series. The initial plan was for Shujaa, who clinched the 2024 Safari 7s title in Machakos on October 13, to take a one-week break before beginning their official training for the Series. However, this plan has not materialized as expected.
KRU Chairman Sasha Mutai acknowledged the seriousness of the situation but assured that efforts were underway to resolve it. Mutai noted that they were working tirelessly to ensure the players and technical bench received the necessary support.
“We will be honest with ourselves and admit that the preparations have not been ideal. The team should have been training now, but that is not the case. We are preparing the drafts, and hopefully, the players will get them soon. The contracts are going to be performance-based," he said.
The contracts are currently being worked on, and we hope they will be sorted soon so that the players can receive the drafts,” he assured.
The team returned to the prestigious series after beating Germany 33-15 in the HSBC Sevens Challenger Series playoffs held in June. The hard-fought victory set the stage for their comeback to the premier sevens rugby competition.
The season kicks off with the Emirates Dubai Sevens from Saturday, 30 November, to Sunday, 1 December 2024, at The Sevens Stadium.
The Kenyans were relegated from the prestigious global event in May 2023 after narrowly losing 12-5 to Canada in the relegation playoffs final at Twickenham Stadium in London.
The then Damian McGrath-coached side needed to win the final to become the 12th core team of the 2024 Series.
2025 HSBC World Rugby 7s Series Schedule
Dubai Sevens – 30th November - 1st December 2024
Cape Town Sevens – 7th - 8th December 2024
Perth Sevens – 24th - 26th January 2025
Vancouver Sevens – 21st - 23rd February 2025
Hong Kong Sevens – 28th - 30th March 2025
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