New Zealand dismantle Shujaa, piling more pressure in Hong Kong

Kenya Sevens’ struggles at the Hong Kong leg of the HSBC SVNS World Championship Series continued after a 28-12 defeat to New Zealand at the Kai Tak Sports Park on Friday, 17 April.

Shujaa have now suffered consecutive losses in Pool C, having earlier fallen 14-5 to Australia in the opening pool match.

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Heading into the clash, Kenya were already facing an uphill task, having failed to beat the New Zealand in their last 13 meetings, with their most recent victory dating back to 2018. The New Zealanders, on the other hand, came into the match buoyed by an opening win over the USA.

New Zealand made their intentions clear early on, striking first through Roderick Solo, whose converted try handed them a 7-0 lead.

They quickly doubled their advantage when Sam Clarke finished off a well-executed move from a scrum, exposing space on the left to make it 14-0.

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Kenya responded through Kevin Wekesa, who powered past two defenders in the corner to get Shujaa on the scoreboard, cutting the deficit to 14-5 heading into the break.

The second half followed a similar pattern, with New Zealand punishing any gaps. Brady Rush intercepted a pass and sprinted clear, beating George Ooro to extend the lead to 21-5.

Shujaa showed resilience, with Nygel Amaitsa finishing off a well-worked move under the posts. The successful conversion narrowed the score to 21-12 and briefly reignited Kenya’s hopes.

However, any chance of a comeback was dashed when Kele Lasaqa capped off a flowing move, finishing a well-timed offload to seal the 28-12 victory for New Zealand.

The result leaves Kenya rooted at the bottom of Pool C without a point after two matches. Shujaa will now look to salvage their campaign when they face the USA in their final pool match on Saturday, 18 April.