Mola Earns Maiden Shujaa Call-Up as Kenya Name Squad for HSBC SVNS Closing Legs

Kenya Sevens winger Victor Odhiambo Mola has received his first call-up to the national rugby sevens team, Shujaa, ahead of the final two legs of the HSBC SVNS World Championship in Valladolid, Spain (29–31 May) and Bordeaux, France (5–7 June).

Mola, a standout performer on the National Sevens Circuit, joins a 13-man squad as Shujaa look to improve on their seventh-place finish in Hong Kong and close out the season strongly.

Head coach Kevin “Bling” Wambua said the winger has been on the radar for some time and brings valuable attacking flair to the squad.

“Injury kept Mola out of SVNS 2, but we are happy to have him now. He is agile, quick, and can give the team the X factor. We ask him to be patient and make the best out of his inclusion,” said Wambua.

The only other change to the squad that featured in Hong Kong sees Chrissant Ojwang return from injury, replacing Gabriel Ayimba, who is unavailable due to school commitments.

Patrick Odongo, who missed the latter stages of the Hong Kong tournament through injury, has recovered in time and is available for selection.

Shujaa have intensified their preparations with a 10-day training camp at Kasarani, focusing on attack, defensive structure, speed and situational awareness as they gear up for the decisive stretch of the campaign.

“We’ve had a very good 10-day camp at Kasarani focusing heavily on attack, defence, speed and situation awareness,” Wambua added.

“We’ve analysed our performances, especially moments like the South Africa quarterfinal loss in Hong Kong, and worked on improving our decision-making in key moments. The boys now have better clarity and understanding of the opponents we’ll face and we believe we are better prepared.”

Kenya has been drawn in a challenging Pool A alongside South Africa, Australia and Great Britain at the Estadio José Zorrilla in Valladolid, widely regarded as the tournament’s “group of death”.

Despite the tough assignment, co-captain George Ooro expressed confidence in the team’s readiness.

“We’re going to man up and give everything for the badge,” said Ooro.

Fellow co-captain Samuel Asati echoed the sentiment, highlighting the team’s growing cohesion.

“We’ve had enough transition time from Hong Kong into these final two legs. The team is growing together well and everyone understands what is required.”

Team sponsor SportPesa also expressed support for Shujaa as they head into the final phase of the season.

“We are proud to continue supporting Shujaa as they head into the final stretch of the HSBC SVNS Championship. We believe this team has the character and quality to compete and make us return to the very top where we belong,” said SportPesa Head of Marketing Senorine Wasike.

Kenya Rugby Union Chairperson Harriet Okach urged the squad to push for a strong finish to the campaign.

“Our collective job is to finish inside the top eight of the 12 World Championship teams. We believe in you and we are certain we’ll be back to HSBC SVNS 1 for 2027,” she said.

The team departs for Spain on Sunday evening, May 24.

Shujaa Squad: George Ooro, Samuel Asati, Kevin Wekesa, Dennis Abukuse, John Okoth, Vincent Onyala, Nygel Amaitsa, Patrick Odongo, Festus Safari, Chrisant Onjwang, David Nyangige, Brian Tanga and Victor Odhiambo Mola.