Kenya Sevens men's team, Shujaa, finished seventh in the Hong Kong SVNS World Championship after stunning France 21-7 in seventh-place playoff match played at Kai Tak Park Stadium on Sunday morning.

Under coach Kevin Wambua, Kenya made a bright start, scoring the opening try seconds from halftime through Nygel Amaitsa, whose effort was converted to give Shujaa a 7-0 lead. However, France responded almost immediately, with Maxim Granell crossing over and leveling the scores at 7-7 heading into halftime.

In the second half, Kenya regained control, with Festus Shiasi making a clean break before racing under the posts for their second try, which was successfully converted to restore the lead at 14-7.

Shujaa continued to press and soon capitalised off a scrum, where co-captain Samuel Asati powered over for another try that was again converted, sealing a convincing 21-7 victory over the French side.

The result secured Kenya’s seventh-place finish in the Hong Kong leg of the SVNS World Championship.

Shujaa will now shift gears to the next leg in Valladolid, Spain, where they aim to build on this performance and maintain their place among the top eight teams.

The final leg of the three-leg season-ending World Championship will then take place in Bordeaux, France. The best eight teams after all three legs will qualify to compete in the 2026-2027 Sevens World Series.

This campaign structure places significant emphasis on consistency across all rounds, meaning every result contributes directly to overall standings and qualification prospects.

Kenya will be looking to sharpen their attack and defensive organization as they prepare for tougher challenges ahead, especially against higher-ranked opponents in the remaining legs. Maintaining discipline and converting scoring opportunities will be key factors if they are to secure a place among the eight best teams.