Former Kenya Sevens and Simbas international Monate Akuei has added a major title to his rugby career after helping the Tsunami Barbarians lift the 2026 RugbyTown 7s Cup in Colorado.Download our Mozzart Sport app for more newsThe Tsunami Barbarians were crowned champions on Sunday, 23 August, at Infinity Park in Glendale, Colorado, securing the prestigious Cup title and a Ksh1.29 million (US$10,000) winner’s prize.Akuei captained a star-studded Tsunami side that featured Manu Samoa 7s internationals Paul Scanlan, Johnny Vaili, Uaina Sione and Dan Patelesio, alongside USA Eagles international Joe Mano.How Driftwood Sevens organisers aim to raise the bar after successful 2026 editionThe championship capped an impressive run through a highly competitive RugbyTown 7s field, with Tsunami finishing the tournament unbeaten.The Barbarians began their campaign in a heavily stacked Pool D and immediately established themselves as one of the teams to beat.They opened with a commanding 31-14 victory over the USA Men’s Sevens Falcons, before seeing off the Denver 7s Selects and NCR All-Americans in their remaining pool matches.##NAJAVA_MECA_9915623##The unbeaten run earned Tsunami the number one seed from Pool D and a comfortable passage into the Cup Tier playoffs.Their biggest test came in the Cup quarterfinals on Saturday evening when they faced the NCR All-Americans for a second time.Tsunami led 14-12 at halftime, but the contest turned into a dramatic finish.Amonde pinpoints reason for KCB's Driftwood Sevens final defeat to KabrasWith less than two minutes remaining, the All-Americans scored to take a 26-21 lead, leaving Tsunami facing elimination.The All-Americans appeared set to close out the match after retaining possession, needing only to run down the clock.However, the ball squirted loose at a crucial moment, giving Tsunami an unlikely lifeline.##NAJAVA_MECA_9915609##Shadrack Mandaza pounced on the loose ball, scooped it up and raced over for the decisive try before successfully adding the conversion.The remarkable turnaround sent Tsunami into Sunday’s semifinals with a 28-26 victory.Having survived the quarterfinal scare, the Barbarians returned on Sunday with their sights firmly set on the Cup.Kenyan rugby star makes long-awaited debut in CanadaIn the semifinal, they went toe-to-toe with UK-based Scimitar Storm in a physical encounter before pulling away late to book their place in the final.The championship decider saw Tsunami take on the dangerous R10 Selects.With their international experience on full display, the Barbarians’ core of Manu Samoa 7s internationals and USA Eagles star Joe Mano helped them produce a dominant performance and complete their march to the title.##NAJAVA_MECA_9915590##Akuei turned out for Shujaa and the Kenya Simbas in 2019 before continuing his rugby journey abroad.His role as captain of the Tsunami Barbarians’ championship-winning side adds another major title to his resume.The RugbyTown 7s is one of the premier sevens tournaments in the United States, attracting elite club, representative and international-level players from across the US and overseas.Emotional Amonde on how family welfare made him drop Kenya Sevens for KCBThe 2026 edition featured 21 teams across four main pools, alongside a separate Armed Forces competition, with the Cup tier serving as the tournament’s main championship competition.
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