Kenya Sevens international Dennis Abukuse made his long-awaited debut in Canada after featuring for British Columbia-based Westshore RFC during the 2026 Westshore 7s tournament. Abukuse announced his arrival impressively, scoring a try as Westshore reached the semi-finals of the tournament held on Saturday, 22 August at the Juan de Fuca playing fields in Colwood, British Columbia.
The Kenyan speedster played a key role in Westshore’s run to the last four before the hosts were knocked out by eventual champions UVic Vikes. The Vikes went on to defeat the Pacific Warriors in the final to claim the senior men’s premier title.
Abukuse’s debut marks the beginning of a new chapter in his career after securing a move to Canada and joining Westshore RFC.The move has also reunited him with fellow Kenyans Brian Ndirangu, William Mwanji, Jeff Oluoch, Johnstone Olindi and Alvin Otieno, who are part of the Westshore setup as the club continues to strengthen its squad with Kenyan talent.For Abukuse, the move comes after a meteoric rise through the Kenyan rugby ranks.
The former Bungoma High School student earned his maiden Kenya Sevens call-up under then-head coach Damian McGrath for the 2022 Hong Kong Sevens before making his competitive debut later that year at the Dubai Sevens. His elevation to the national team followed an outstanding 2022 National Sevens Circuit campaign with Menengai Oilers, where his performances helped the Nakuru-based side secure the overall title.
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Abukuse wasted no time making his mark on the international stage. Simbas backrower on hurdles blocking Kenyan players from overseas transfersDuring his debut tournament in Dubai, he scored a sensational try against South Africa, which was voted among the tournament’s top seven tries and offered an early glimpse of his potential at the highest level. The explosive winger has since established himself as a key figure in the Shujaa setup, representing Kenya at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.He enjoyed an outstanding domestic campaign that same year, finishing as the National Sevens Circuit’s leading try scorer with 32 tries.
Abukuse was also instrumental in Kenya’s successful campaign to regain promotion to the HSBC SVNS World Series. Despite World Rugby subsequently restructuring the competition, the pacey winger remained an important part of the national team setup.