The national rugby sevens team Shujaa for the umpteenth time failed to replicate their 2016 glittering performance after registering zero group win during the 2023 HSBC Sevens series in Singapore.

Shujaa’s fortunes continued to dwindle when they lost to France, United States of America (USA) and Uruguay at Singapore Sevens on Saturday.

Damian McGrath’s charges lost 19-26 to heavyweights France and equally falling to 19-21 to USA before finishing their pool D campaign after going down 33-17 to Uruguay to slump to the ninth place quarter-final as the Uruguayans made it to their second Cup quarter-final this season.

Uruguay qualified along with France, who pulled through the pool unbeaten after they drew 26-26 with USA in their last pool game.

Kenya will now face Canada in the ninth place quarter-final at 5.50am on Sunday while USA is up against Spain at 6.34am

Kenya had hoped to make it to the main Cup quarter-finals in Singapore and Toulouse Sevens to avoid dropping to relegation play-offs that will take place in the 11th and last leg of the Series in London.

The national outfit has competed in the World Rugby Sevens Series every year since the competition’s inception in 1999–2000 having made notable appearances at the Rugby World Cup Sevens and the Commonwealth Games.

In 2016 during the Singapore 7s under the watch of the late Benjamin Ayimba,Kenya pulled off a stunning 30-7 upset victory over Fiji in the final of the Singapore Sevens to capture their first World Series event.

The East Africans, who had twice finished runner-up in tournaments, blew the Fijians off the park with four unanswered tries in the first half, including two by Collins Injera.