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Kenya are seven points from safety in the log standings.
After another abysmal performance in Los Angeles, the national men’s rugby sevens team, Shujaa will commence their Vancouver 7s with a fiendish clash against Fiji on Friday 3 March.
Kenya were drawn in a tricky-looking Pool C alongside Fiji, debutants Uruguay and Great Britain in the seventh leg of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series.
Damian McGrath’s side will face 2019 series winners Fiji in a 10:52 PM (EAT) kick-off in the only match of Day 1 before tackling Great Britain in a 4:54 AM clash and finishing off with an 11:20 PM encounter against Uruguay on Saturday.
Shujaa’s joint last-place finish in Los Angeles saw them drop to 13th on the log with fellow relegation candidates Spain, pipping them to 12th on the log.
This season the series is structured so that at the end of the penultimate event in Toulouse, the 15th-ranked team will be relegated to the 2024 Challenger Series while the 12th to 14th-ranked teams will face off against the Challenger Series 2023 winner for the final position in the 2024 World Series.
Kenya need to book a place in the Main Cup quarter-finals to put more points on board with only four legs left in the series after the conclusion of the Vancouver Sevens.
Shujaa skipper Nelson Oyoo is however adamant that Kenya will beat the dreaded drop when curtains come falling on the 2022-2023 series.
"Some of the boys are demoralized but it's something we will pick on heading to next week, we are going to take our positives and work on our negatives, right now the team is gelling and there is an improvement though the results are not showing.
We are going hard to get ourselves out of the relegation zone, the journey is still on, trying to revive our flag and put it on the map again," said Oyoo.
Shujaa will be looking to count on their wildcard and Strathmore Leos speedster Brunson Madigu following an impressive debut against the USA in Los Angeles.
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