Shujaa gear up for Dubai Sevens after exciting initial outings
After winding up third in the recent 2021 sevens series, Kenya sevens rugby team, Shujaa, returns to action on November 26-27 in Dubai to kick off the 2022 HSBC World 7s series.
Kenya will compete for the overall title in a ten-legged competition which will be more involving than the two-legged series it participated in and reached the final.
According to organizers, the series is set to kick off in closed doors due the restrictions of COVID-19 which has ravaged the world.
The second event in the series will be held on 3-4 December 3-4 and unlike the first, fans will be allowed to watch action at The Sevens Stadium.
Further, there will be a total of seven women’s rounds set to be played over a six months period with the first encompassing both men and women teams.
After Dubai, the Series will return to Europe with Spain hosting the event for the first time in Malaga and Seville on January 21-23 and January 28-30 respectively.
The new venues in Spain temporarily replace traditional Series hosts Australia, and New Zealand, who are unable to host next year’s edition due to the logistical challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic in their regions.
In the meantime, the men’s Series continues with North American rounds in Vancouver on February 26-27 February and Los Angeles on March 5-6.
It shall then move to Asia where Hong Kong will return to host a combined event of both genders on April 1-3 April, followed by a men’s event in Singapore on April 9-10.
A women’s standalone event is earmarked for Langford, Canada, on April 30-May 1 before both men’s and women’s teams travel to a new Series venue in Toulouse, France, on May 20-22 where the women’s Series champions will be crowned.
The men’s Series concludes with the final event in London on May 28-29 amidst changes in the competing teams.
Japan joined the men’s Series as a core team following their promotion as HSBC World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series champions in 2020.
Great Britain will compete in the opening two rounds of the Series in Dubai, as part of the standing agreement to play the 2021 calendar year 2021.
It shall then revert to compete as national unions for the remainder of the 2022 Series, with England, Scotland and Wales participating in the men’s Series and England in the women’s series.
The 16 men’s core teams after the Dubai events are Argentina, Australia, Canada, England, Fiji, France, Ireland, Japan, Kenya, New Zealand, Samoa, Scotland, South Africa, Spain, USA and Wales.
South Africa shall resume action as the series defending champions after claiming the 2021 title in Edmonton, Canada, in September, while New Zealand, who were unable to compete in Canada, were the 2020 Series winners.
