Kenya Sevens Reach Vancouver Quarter-Finals After Pool Stage Heroics

Kenya Sevens produced their most complete pool stage performance of the 2025-26 SVNS Series in Vancouver, winning all three matches to top Pool C and book a quarter-final date with Fiji. It was a statement of intent from a Shujaa side that has been building momentum since the turn of the year.

Dominant Pool Wins

The campaign opened with a 26-7 demolition of Japan, with Daniel Taabu scoring a hat-trick of tries in the first half. Taabu's pace off the mark was simply too much for the Japanese defence, and by half-time the result was already beyond doubt. Kenya then edged past Spain 19-14 in a tighter contest that required a last-minute try from captain Nelson Oyoo to seal the deal.

The pool decider against Argentina was Shujaa's most impressive showing. Leading 14-12 at half-time, Kenya pulled away in the second half with tries from Vincent Onyala and Alvin Otieno to win 28-12. The defensive intensity was remarkable — Argentina managed just two tries across the entire match against a wall of green jerseys.

Quarter-Final Challenge

Fiji present the ultimate test. The two-time Olympic champions have been the form team this season and beat Kenya 31-7 when they met in Cape Town earlier in the series. But Shujaa's coaching staff believe the Vancouver altitude and cool conditions suit their players' fitness levels, and the pool stage form suggests Kenya are peaking at the right time.

Head coach Damian McGrath praised the squad's discipline and conditioning. The defence has conceded just 33 points across three pool matches — the best defensive record of any team in the tournament so far. If Kenya can maintain that standard against Fiji's free-flowing attack, an upset is very much on the cards.