Oyoo acknowledges pressure as Shujaa face do-or-die Series Play-off

Of the 16 teams set to compete at the 2023 season-ending HSBC London Sevens this weekend, the men’s national rugby 7s side, Shujaa, know this could be their last experience of life at the top table for at least 12 months.

Following 10 intense tournaments, Kenya alongside Canada and Uruguay have got one final chance to secure their place on the 12-team line-up for the new-look men’s HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series set for 2024.

This Saturday and Sunday the trio will be joined by World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series 2023 winners Tonga to take part in the World Rugby Sevens Series 2024 Play-off at Twickenham.

Each of the quartet will play three matches during a round-robin pool stage, before the top two advance to a winner-takes-all play-off to decide the identity of the 12th and final team on the 2024 Series.

Kenya finished a difficult weekend in Toulouse, during which they lost to both Canada and Uruguay, by beating USA and Japan on the final day.

Those results earned the Shujaa 13th place in France and have ensured the team traveled north to London full of hope they can retain their place on the Series.

Heading into the tournament, Shujaa, who have been a core team since the 2002-2003 World Rugby Sevens Series season, surviving relegation narrowly in the 2011-2012 and 2018-2019 seasons, know nothing else other than a win will save them from elimination for a third time.

With everything on the line, team captain Nelson Oyoo admitted to pressure regarding the situation but promised that the team will do everything to save themselves from relegation.

“I cannot say there is no pressure, there is pressure, but we are trying as much as possible to keep calm and be able to tackle the task at hand. The boys are relaxed and they know what they need to do and what is at stake,” he told World Rugby.

One positive for Oyoo and his teammates to cling to is the fact that Kenya are the only team competing in the Series Play-off to have beaten Tonga this year.

Canada arrived in London as the team in form, having reached the Cup semi-finals in Toulouse last weekend, where their hopes of winning a first Cup title in six years were ended by Argentina.

Canada’s run to fourth place in France included pool-stage victories against both Uruguay (26-0) and Kenya (33-7), but Berna warned against complacency ahead of the Series Play-off.

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Psychology is also going to be important for Uruguay, who started the tournament in Toulouse in 11th place in the standings but were edged to safety by a solitary point by Spain.

It was a gutting blow for a team that had reached two Cup quarter-finals during the season, but Los Teros Sevens captain Diego Ardao has backed his team-mates to recover in London.

Tonga competed in Hamilton and Sydney as an invitational side, beating both Canada and Uruguay in the process. However, they lost to Kenya 33-19 in New Zealand before gaining their revenge across the Tasman Sea (26-24) a week later.

Captain Sione Tupou is under no illusion about the size of the task that awaits Tonga at Twickenham, but he is confident the players have what it takes to secure promotion.

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Pool Playoff Fixtures

Saturday 20 May

Kenya v Canada | 1.51 pm

Uruguay v Tonga | 2.13 pm

Kenya v Tonga | 4.59 pm

Uruguay v Canada | 5.21 pm

Sunday 21 May

Canada v Tonga | 1.57 pm

Uruguay v Kenya | 2.19 pm

Playoff Final

Playoff Pos 1 v Playoff Pos 2 | 6.56 pm