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Kenya surrendered their prestigious top flight status following their relegation from the World Rugby Sevens Series on Sunday but they had it coming
Kenya Sevens’ fears were confirmed on Sunday evening as they surrendered their 19-year core status in the World Rugby Sevens Series following a 12-7 loss to Canada in the relegation playoff final in London.
Shujaa headed to London knowing only a win will see them retain their top flight status which has stood since the 2004-05 season with Canada, Uruguay and Tonga their opponents in the round-robin relegation playoff where the winner will be the 12th team in the Series next season.
They started with a 24-19 win over the Canada followed by a 38-26 victory against Tonga on Saturday and despite falling 14-10 to Uruguay on Sunday, they still had a chance to clinch their slot had they beaten the Canadians. They failed to do it, losing their lofty status.
In reality, this has been coming given in the last five years, they have only managed a top 10 finish once, in 2017-18, when they finished eight. The following season, they were 13th, then 12th and after the Covid-19-interrupted 2020-21 campaign, they managed another 12th place last season followed by 13th in 2022-23.
Shujaa have been flirting with relegation and when a change of rules that cut the teams in the top flight from next season to 12 was effected, they found themselves in hot soup.
Lack of structures
Kenya ended with 40 points by the 10th leg in Toulouse, having failed to make it to the cup quarter-final in any of the legs. Seven points was the highest they recorded in a leg, doing it in Hamilton, Vancouver and Singapore, while they could only manage one point in Hong Kong (twice) and Los Angeles.
All these was down to the fact that Shujaa sent a relatively young and inexperienced side to the 2022-23 campaign. While the players gave a good account of themselves, notably Alvin ‘Buffa’ Otieno and lately Kevin Wekesa, they fall short when it mattered most.
Shujaa were also made to pay for their basic errors such as poor ball handling while their inexperience saw them fail to close out games when they had slender leads.
This is down to the fact that Kenya Rugby Union (KRU) has not been able to put across proper structures that would allow the players to flourish while Kenya still remains among a handful of sides whose players are semi-professionals.
It means the players have to shuttle between job/school commitments and playing rugby, making it difficult to compete with the big boys whose stars are only focused on playing ruby. While they have beaten the top sides in the past, they run out of lack this time, not for the lack of trying but absence of knowhow.
No succession plan
Shujaa have also paid a heavy price for allowing their star players to depart at almost the same time. Collins Injera, Andre Amonde, Willy Mbaka and Oscar Ouma are among a core of the team’s backbone who exited the scene, leaving the rest exposed.
The aforementioned would use their experience at crucial moments when Shujaa had their backs against the wall but having left, it became difficult for the youngsters to handle the pressure. While they had the likes of captain Nelson Oyoo and ‘Buffa’ this season, it was still not enough when things came to shove.
A lack of succession plan, which would allow the youngsters to learn from the ‘old guard’, before the departed has come to bite the team when it mattered most.
Instability at KRU
There is no hiding that wrangles within the union have destabilised the team, leading to countless go slows among the playing unit with the exit of some of the star players blamed on frustration.
Delayed payments and contract issues have bedeviled the team and while the Union defended itself that it did not have money, wrangling within the executive seems to have ‘scared sponsors’ while rubbing off on the team, leading to poor results.
Sasha Mutai is now the new man in the KRU hot seat, having been elected in March, and he has his work cut out.
Injuries to key players
Kenya have played the whole season without playmaker Vincent Onyala who was ruled out for six months following a knee injury sustained during the opening leg in Hong Kong.
Shujaa have been pegged back by the fact that they have missed their most intelligent player in Onyala, who can change a game with his playmaking skills.
Onyala was one of the outstanding players for Shujaa before his injury with his link-up play, defence and playmaking proving crucial. His absence proved costly.
Relegation, therefore, means Kenya will have to work their way through the second tier Challenger Series to earn their spot back in the big time.
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