Rugby

Kenya 7s advances to Challenger Series semifinals with narrow victory over Uganda

Kenya Sevens players before the game against Uganda © Kenya Rugby

By Rama Mohammed | Sunday, March 10, 2024

The Kenya Lionesses on the other end lost 7-24 to China

Kenya 7s secured a hard-fought 7-5 win over Uganda in the quarterfinals of the Challenger Series, setting up a showdown with Hong Kong in the semifinals on Sunday at Estadio Charrúa, Montevideo, Uruguay.

Heading into the clash, Uganda led Pool C with an impeccable record, triumphing over Germany, Uruguay, and Papua Guinea. In contrast, Kenya 7s clinched the second spot in their pool with wins against Portugal and Tonga.

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The tightly contested quarterfinal saw Kenya taking an early lead three minutes into the game with a penalty try, resulting in Aaron Ofoywroth's yellow card for Uganda. However, Uganda retaliated through Philip Wokorach's try, though their conversion attempt went astray, sealing Kenya's narrow victory.

In other men’s quarterfinal matches, Chile scraped past Germany with a 12-7 win, while hosts Uruguay dominated Portugal with a 26-7 triumph. Hong Kong China secured their spot in the semis by defeating Tonga 26-7.

On the women’s front, China emerged victorious over Kenya with a 24-7 win, while Uganda overcame Hong Kong China 22-17. Argentina delighted the crowd with a 26-17 victory over Poland, and Belgium continued their winning streak by overpowering Thailand 17-5.

This year’s Challenger Series holds more significance than ever, with an expanded competition format spanning three rounds. The top four men’s and women’s teams will qualify for the promotion and relegation playoff at the HSBC SVNS 2024 Grand Final in Madrid.

Introduced in February 2020, the Challenger Series aims to foster the development of rugby sevens globally and establish a clear pathway for teams to ascend to the highest level of the sport. The 2024 edition commenced with a combined men’s and women’s event in Dubai, followed by the second round in Montevideo. Standalone events for men and women are scheduled in Krakow, Poland, and Munich, Germany, respectively, later this year.