By Priscilla Jepchumba

The Safari Sevens, Africa’s top rugby sevens tournament, will start on Friday, October 11th, at the Machakos Kenyatta Stadium. The game will occur outside Nairobi, Kenya’s capital for the first time in history.

Qatar has revealed the lineup for the 2024 Safari 7s, which includes two Kenyans, the former Mwamba RFC player Patrick Oduong and ex-Kisii RFC player Darwin Onsare, both of whom now represent Camels Rugby Club.

Notably, Onsare has been part of the Qatar team for the past two years. In the men’s category, the ten participating teams have been divided into two competitive pools. Kenya’s Shujaa will contend against Kenya Varsity Select, Qatar, Lions Rugby, and Zimbabwe in Pool A.

Talented players from the Qatar Camels Rugby Club, including Oduong, Onsare, Fawaz B Sal-Raees, Simark Tuan Samidon, and team captain Mubarak Abdulaziz IS-Almalak, will be among the Qatar team.

Notably, players from the Doha Titans, including Eranda Harshana, Rizwan Tuwan, Don Dilan Devinda, Vishwa Deneth, and Amine Sihma from Qatar University, will participate.

Pool B promises exciting matches, with Kenya Harlequins and Kenya Morans leading the charge, accompanied by teams from Uganda, Shogun, and the Red Wailers.

In the women’s category, CostaBlanca, Shogun, Kenya Lionesses, Uganda Lady Cranes, Kenya Cubs, and Uganda ladies’ select will compete in a round-robin format. The first round of games is scheduled to start on Friday at 2:00 PM.

The Qatar rugby team captain, Mubarak Abdulaziz IS-Almalek, and Kenyan Darwin Onsare expressed excitement ahead of the Safari 7s tournament in Kenya. Mubarak shared his anticipation for the intense and challenging matches in Kenya and expressed optimism about his team’s preparation and readiness.

Darwin Onsare expressed gratitude for the opportunity to play at an international level and acknowledged his challenges. He looks forward to playing on home ground and creating great moments in the competition.