Kenya Rugby Union (KRU) chairman Sasha Mutai has expressed confidence they will recapture the core status in the next year despite being relegated in the final tournament on Sunday at Twickenham, London
A bullish Mutai said despite the setback, they will go back to the drawing board and come up with a plan to secure status.
“It is disappointing but we have a plan. We will source for sponsorship to keep the players active and review the season with the management team in a fortnight. This will help us look at the areas we can improve and come back stronger,” he added.
Mutai said Kenya will grace the Sh 136 million New York Sevens tournament in July as well as the Olympic qualifiers in Zimbabwe in October with a view to qualifying for the 2024 Paris Games next year.
"In the short term, we have the New York Sevens but our target is to qualify for the Olympics in Paris. I know South Africa will be competing against us but the boys will be up for the fight and we will give our best shot,” he observed.
The KRU supremo said a myriad of factors led to the country's relegation.
“This did not start this season. If you look back at the last decade, lack of culture, poor player transition, lack of resources and a high turnover of coaches have seen us where we are but this is not the time to finger-point. I am confident we will get back to our rightful position,” added Mutai.
Kenya's' route back to the World Seven Series will include playing in the Africa Cup Sevens in Zimbabwe in October, where they will be seeking to finish in the top three positions to guarantee an invitation to the Dubai and Cape Town tournaments in December and Hong Kong in March next year.
From there, Shujaa will play in the Challenger Series in April, where they will be seeking to win to get back to the World Seven Series.
Shujaa's 20-year stint in the World Sevens Series ended at the hands of Canada in the relegation playoff after losing 12-7 in a pulsating final.
Kenya had beaten Canada 24-19 in the pool stages and Tonga 38-26 and suffered a 14-10 to Uruguay to finish second in the pool.
