Shujaa pin promotion hopes on Fiji after seeing off Uruguay
Reading Time: 2min | Sun. 07.06.26. | 14:34
Victory for Fiji would confirm Kenya’s return to Division One as a core team, while a win for the Americans would leave Shujaa’s hopes shattered
Shujaa kept their hopes of retaining core status in the HSBC SVNS Series alive after securing an 11th-place finish at the HSBC SVNS World Championship in Bordeaux, following a convincing 26-7 victory over Uruguay on Sunday, 7 June.
The result saw Shujaa end their campaign on a high after a difficult tournament in which they had lost their opening four matches.
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However, Kevin Wambua’s charges must now wait for the outcome of the fifth-place playoff between Fiji and the USA to determine their fate for next season.
Victory for Fiji would confirm Kenya’s return to Division One as a core team, while a win for the Americans would leave Shujaa’s hopes shattered.
Heading into the encounter, Kenya knew that victory was non-negotiable if they were to maximize their chances of survival.
The East Africans responded positively, making a bright start against the South Americans.
Vincent Onyala opened the scoring after crossing over for the game’s first try before David Nyangige added the extras to hand Shujaa a 7-0 advantage.
Uruguay fought back before halftime through Francisco Landauer, whose converted try ensured the two sides headed into the break tied at 7-7 after an evenly contested opening period.
Kenya emerged from the interval with renewed intensity and quickly regained the lead.
John Okoth powered over for an unconverted try to make it 12-7 and swing momentum back in Shujaa’s favour.
With confidence growing, Kenya tightened their grip on the match when Nyangige crossed over for a converted try, stretching the lead to 19-7 and putting clear daylight between the teams.
Shujaa then added another converted try late on to complete a commanding 26-7 victory and bring their Bordeaux campaign to a positive conclusion.
The win leaves Kenya with a maximum tally of 16 points in the promotion and relegation standings after finishing 11th.
The equation is now straightforward for Wambua’s men.
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Should the USA defeat Fiji in the fifth-place playoff, they would move to 17 points and finish above Kenya.
However, if Fiji prevail, the Americans will remain on 15 points, allowing Shujaa’s 16-point haul to secure their place among the HSBC SVNS core teams for next season.
The two will clash at 4:30 pm East African Time.