• RUGBY

• Frank Rotich 19 days ago

Kenya Morans bask in glory of retaining Rugby Africa Men’s 7s title

Kenya Morans have regained the Rugby Africa Men’s 7s title after edging hosts Madagascar 15-12 in a tense final on Sunday.

The victory is particularly significant for Kenya as it ended Madagascar’s four-match winning streak against the Morans and restored the continental crown to Kenyan hands for the first time since 2023.

Madagascar made the brighter start, scoring inside the opening two minutes as they looked to continue their dominance over Kenya.

The Morans, however, quickly found their rhythm, with Rayvon Ambale breaking through the Madagascar defence to score Kenya’s opening try. The successful conversion put Kenya 7-5 ahead.

Kenya carried the momentum into the second half and extended their lead when Gabriel Ayimba powered over the line following a well-executed offload, giving the Morans a 12-5 advantage.

But the Makis refused to give up. Madagascar fought back strongly and scored a converted try to level the contest at 12-12, setting up a dramatic finish.

With time running out, Kenya won a crucial penalty and handed Glacious Owino the responsibility of deciding the final.

The fly-half kept his composure under pressure, successfully converting the penalty from a difficult angle to give Kenya a dramatic 15-12 victory.

The triumph caps a strong tournament for the Morans, who had earlier defeated South Africa 15-0 in the semi-final to book their place in the final.

For Kenya, the result not only delivers another continental title but also provides a major confidence boost after several difficult encounters against Madagascar.

The Morans now leave Madagascar as Africa’s champions, having overcome one of their biggest recent hurdles on the road to reclaiming the crown.