Kenya sevens Nygel Amaitsa evades a French defender during a recent leg of the Sevens Series /HANDOUT Opener Kenya Sevens star Nygel Amaitsa is a major doubt for the start of the Indian Rugby Premier League, set to kick off next week in Hyderabad, India.
The Strathmore Leos utility back is nursing an ankle injury sustained during the World Championship leg in Valladolid last month and now faces a race against time to be fit for the tournament opener on the Indian subcontinent.
Amaitsa had been expected to feature in the high-octane competition alongside fellow Kenyans Samuel Asati, Kevin Wekesa, John Okoth, and Patrick Odongo during the two-week tournament.
Despite concerns over his availability for the Indian competition, Amaitsa is expected to recover in time for the start of the National Sevens Circuit, where he will turn out for last season’s runners-up, Strathmore Leos, as they target dethroning defending champions KCB.
For Asati and Okoth, the Indian Rugby Premier League will mark their debut appearances in the competition, while Odongo and Wekesa are set for their second successive campaigns.
Delhi Redz have drafted Odongo, Asati, and Okoth, while Wekesa will once again represent Hyderabad Heroes. Wekesa played a pivotal role in Hyderabad Heroes’ impressive 2025 campaign, helping the side secure a third-place finish following a 17-12 victory over Bengaluru Bravehearts in the playoff match.
The 2025 edition of the tournament made history as the world’s first franchise-based rugby sevens league, held at the Mumbai Football Arena in India.
The 2026 competition will retain its six-franchise format and continue blending international stars with emerging Indian talent. In a significant development, this year’s edition will also introduce a women’s competition.
Four of the six existing franchises — Chennai Bulls, Delhi Redz, Mumbai Dreamers, and Kolkata Banga Tigers — are set to field women’s teams. Shujaa felt Amaitsa’s injury troubles during the final leg of the World Rugby Sevens Series in Bordeaux.
His absence proved costly as Kenya failed to regain core status after an inconsistent showing across the three-day tournament. Shujaa managed just one victory, defeating Uruguay 26-7 in their final pool match on Sunday.
Earlier, they had suffered defeats to Fiji (31-12), South Africa (26-5), and Great Britain (14-5), to end the pool stage winless. In the subsequent classification match against Germany, Kenya narrowly lost 7-5, ending their hopes of immediate promotion.
As a result, Shujaa will remain in Division Two for the 2026-2027 season and will have to wait another year in their quest to return to the top tier of the World Rugby Sevens Series.
