Kenyan rugby stars named to feature in the inaugural Ultimate 7s Championship are set to miss the new global tournament after encountering visa issues.
The 14 Kenyan players had been selected across all six franchises for the inaugural edition of the competition, which gets underway in Madrid on Saturday,12 September, before moving to Cardiff, Biarritz and London. However, the players are now expected to remain in Kenya, with several already named in their respective clubs’ squads for the Christie 7s scheduled for Saturday, 12, and Sunday, 13 September at the RFUEA Grounds.
Five of the affected players: Vincent Onyala, George Ooro, Samuel Asati, Festus Shiasi and Nygel Amaitsa have been named in the KCB Rugby squad for the 60th edition of the Christie 7s.The development is a major blow to the Ultimate 7s Championship, which had been set to feature a strong Kenyan contingent comprising 10 Shujaa players and four Lionesses.Other Kenyan stars named for the new franchise competition included Lionesses captain Sheila Chajira, Moreen Muritu and Freshia Oduor.
Andrew Amonde Christie 7s game plan without Ultimate Sevens starsChajira, a two-time Olympian, had been selected alongside Shujaa players Vincent Onyala and John Okoth for Clan Taran, while Ooro and Muritu were set to represent Sol Feroz. Kevin Wekesa, Tony Omondi and Oduor were selected by Pacific Current, Chrisant Ojwang by Atlantic Novas, and Patrick Odongo, Festus Shiasi and Sinaida Mokaya by Foudre Bleue. Albion Athletic picked Amaitsa and Asati.The absence of the Kenyan players will deny the championship some of the experience and quality they were expected to bring to its maiden edition.
Onyala, Ooro, Okoth, Wekesa and Omondi are among the players with Olympic experience, while Chajira has also competed at two Olympic Games.Festus Shiasi opens up on special quality that earned him Ultimate 7s selectionThe Ultimate 7s is a new private global sevens competition backed by BIA Sports Group, bringing together six franchise teams featuring elite men’s and women’s players.Each franchise has a 12-player men’s squad and a 12-player women’s squad.The competition is scheduled to continue in Cardiff on September 18, followed by Biarritz before the Grand Final at London’s Gtech Community Stadium.