The Safaricom Safari Sevens is the
biggest rugby event held in Kenya
and is run by the Kenya Rugby
Football Union (KRFU). The
competition is promoted as being
Africa’s premier rugby sevens
tournament drawing crowds of
over 20,000 to the weekend event.
It is also one of the most popular
events in the country.
The series kicks off today
(September 26th) at the Kasarani
stadium and will end on Sunday
SSeptember28th. Daily tickets go
for Kshs, 200 Upper deck, Kshs 500
Lower deck and Kshs 1,000 V.I.P.
Season tickets go for Kshs 1,000
upper deck, Kshs. 2,000 Lower
deck and Kshs 4,000 V.I.P.
entrance is by advance tickets
which are available at Safaricom
shops and Nakumatt outlets.
Here’s a look at some of the things
you probably did not know about
the event.
- The inaugural tournament took
place in 1996 and was won by
Public School Wanderers who beat
Zimbabwe 40-14 in the final. The
other winners included Kenya (who
beat Uganda 38-12 in the Plate
final) and Cumbria Schoolboys who
defeated Shujaa 29-10 in the Bowl
Final. - Kenya won the tournament for
the first time in 1997 after beating
Cumbria School Boys 24-21 in the
main final. - Kenya did not make the podium
in 1998 and 1999 with the
tournaments won by Bristol
University Select and Public School
Wanderers respectively. - In 1999 the Kenya Rugby
Football Union applied and won the
right to host the Africa Zone
Qualifying Tournament for the
2001 Rugby World Cup Sevens
Finals. This qualifiaction
competition was combined with the
2000 tournament to make it into a
longer 3 day festival of rugby
rather than cancel the Safari
Sevens. The Kenya sevens side did
not therefore take part in the
Safari Sevens; Shujaa the Kenya ‘A’
side carried the hopes of the home
crowd and did not disappoint,
winning the cup.
In the World Cup Qualifying
tournament Kenya, captained by
Sammy Khakame, defeated
Swaziland and then Madagascar at
the beginning of day two and then
Namibia in the semi-finals on day
three, thus qualifying to go to
Argentina the next year as there
wer two slots open to the African
Zone. Zimbabwe defeated Kenya in
the final. - The British Army won back to
back titles in 2001 and 2002 - In 2004 the first women’s team
played in the tournament - In 2005 Fijian rugby great,
Waisale Serevi played for Kenya A
(Shujaa) as a guest player. - Kenya played against the
Emerging Springboks in 3
consecutive finals ,i.e 2008, 2009
and 2010, beating the South
Africans all three times. This was
after the Emerging Springboks had
won back to back tournaments in
2006 and 2007, beating Zimbabwe
in both finals. - The 13th edition of the Safari
Sevens in 2008 saw a rise in the
gate fee of KSh200 per person to
KSh800. - In 2011, hosts Kenya, Uganda
and Bristol University from the
United Kingdom were the only
sides to have played in the annual
event since its inception in 1996.