HSBC SVNS 2: Brave Shujaa settle for bronze as Germany have final say in Nairobi
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Reading Time: 2min | Sun. 15.02.26. | 19:28
Wambua's charges were expected to sail all the way to the final match and possibly win the title but lost to a more tactical USA
Kenya’s national men’s sevens side, Shujaa, wrapped up the opening leg of the HSBC SVNS Division 2 circuit with a third-place finish after falling 21–5 to the USA in a pulsating encounter played on Sunday, 15 February at Nyayo Stadium.
Heading into the clash unbeaten, the Kevin Wambua-coached side had impressed with victories over Canada, Germany, Belgium, and Uruguay, raising hopes of a place in the final match.
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However, the Americans proved clinical, capitalizing on defensive lapses and exposing weaknesses around the ruck area, a concern that will likely be addressed before the remaining legs of the circuit.
Shujaa looked the more threatening side early on, camping inside the USA half for much of the opening period.
Despite sustained pressure, Kenya could not convert territory into points, and the visitors punished them when possession shifted.
Lucas Lucamp caught the Kenyan defense off guard to score the opening try before converting to hand the USA a halftime lead.
The Americans resumed the second half with the same efficiency.
Aaron Cummings crossed over in the 10th minute before Adam Channel added another try in the dying moments, with Lucamp again successful with the extras.
Kenya salvaged pride in added time when captain George Ooro shrugged off his marker and sprinted into the try area, ensuring the hosts ended the match on the scoreboard.
The defeat confirmed Shujaa’s third-place finish overall, with Germany crowned tournament winners and the USA settling for second.
In the women’s competition, the Lionesses endured another difficult outing, going down 14–5 to Spain.
Their campaign yielded only one victory, against Brazil, and they will be looking to regroup ahead of the next round.
Argentina emerged as champions in the women’s category, followed by South Africa in second place and Spain in third.
The Nairobi tournament marked the opening stop of the SVNS Division 2 circuit, which now shifts to Montevideo, Uruguay, on March 21–22 before concluding in São Paulo, Brazil, on March 28–29.
Under the revamped format, six teams per gender compete across three events, with the top four sides advancing to the SVNS World Championship stage.
There, they will face the leading eight teams from Division 1 in Hong Kong, Valladolid, and Bordeaux, with promotion to the top tier for the 2027 season on the line.