Kisia explains importance of residential camp in readiness for Challenger Series

Kenya 7s national team assistant coach Louis Kisia has underscored the importance of the team heading to residential camp ahead of the World Rugby Challenger Series opening round taking place in Dubai, United Arab Emirates from 12-14 January 2024.

Shujaa are set to embark on a 10-day training camp at St Andrew's Turi in Nakuru to sharpen their claws for the upcoming challenge.

The Challenger Series is the pathway teams use to qualify for the World Seven Series and will be played in Dubai, Munich, and Madrid in the first part of next year.

Shujaa will face regional rivals Uganda, Germany, and Mexico in Pool C of the men’s competition while the Lionesses will play out of Pool B in the women’s competition alongside China, the Czech Republic, and Mexico.

“The training camp is key for the Dubai event. We just want to align everything and get the boys into the right shape and focus and be in peak condition for the first leg of the series,” Kisia explained.

The assistant coach who doubles up as Strathmore Leos' tactician also noted that the high-level competitions they have played so far have exposed the Shujaa.

The team competed in the Africa Men's 7s tournament in Zimbabwe in September where they defeated stubborn South Africa 17-12 in the final to book a direct spot in the Paris 2024 Olympics. They then retained their Safari 7s title after outclassing Samurai Barracudas 19-0 in the final held on November 19.

Shujaa, Lionesses learn opponents as Challenger series pools are unveiled

They have not tasted a loss since the new technical bench led by coach Kevin Wambua took over.

They missed the Dubai 7s International Invitational tournament that was scheduled for December 1-3 in Dubai due to logistical challenges. The tournament was won by South Africa after they labored 12-7 past Argentina.

“The very nature of 7s is unpredictable. We will treat our opponents with respect and at the same time, we played Uganda and Germany at the Safari Sevens recently so we have an idea of how they play and that will be of benefit to us,” Kisia averred.

Emphasizing the importance of having build-up tournaments, Kisia noted that they requested the Kenya Rugby Union's help in ensuring the team stays in shape.

“KRU are aware of the request we made to ensure the boys stay in good shape for the duration of the Challenger Series. The more tournaments the boys play, the better they become,” he posited.

He was further pleased with the exceptional talent in the team, noting that selecting a team was head-scratching, something he considered positive.

"The likes of Floyd Wabwire, Gabriel Ayimba, Barnabas Owuor, and Christant Ojwang who played for Morans were exceptional and are knocking on the door on Shujaa. So it's healthy for the team and gives the technical bench a headache on who to pick for the upcoming tournaments,” Kisia disclosed.

Shujaa, Lionesses to miss Dubai 7s Invitation tournament - KRU

About the Challenger Series

The Sevens Challenger was introduced in February 2020 to boost the development of rugby sevens globally and provide a clear promotion pathway to reach the top level of global rugby sevens.

The tournaments replicate the Olympic Games competition format, with the 12 teams drawn into three pools of four. The top two from each and the best third-placed finishers will qualify for the knockout stages with quarter-finals and semifinals leading to the third-place and gold medal matches.

The 2024 edition of the competition kicks off with combined events at the Sevens Stadium in Dubai on 12-14 January, followed by Estadio Charrúa in Montevideo, Uruguay on 8-10 March before standalone women’s and men’s events at Henryk Reyman’s Municipal Stadium in Krakow, Poland and Dantestadion in Munich, Germany respectively on 18-19 May.

All World Rugby HSBC Sevens Challenger 2024 events will include the 12 men’s and 12 women’s nations from around the world who have qualified through regional competitions and the pool draw is expected to take place in Dubai during the opening round of HSBC SVNS 2024 in December 2023.

HSBC World Rugby Sevens Challenger 2024 dates:

Dubai, UAE – 12-14 January (men and women)

Montevideo, Uruguay – 8-10 March 2024 (men and women)

Krakow, Poland – 18-19 May, 2024 (women)

Munich, Germany – 18-19 May, 2024 (men)