Safari Sevens moved to November 2011

The Safari Sevens will for the first time since its inception 16 years ago shift from its traditional month of June to November this year.

The Kenya Rugby Football Union (KRFU) confirmed on Thursday that this year’s championship will be held from November 18 to 20 at the Rugby Football Union of East Africa grounds.

The union’s chairman, Richard Omwela, said the tournament’s sponsors, Safaricom Limited, have agreed to the change of dates and hoped that the move will lure some of the world’s top cream of sevens playing nations.

Omwela said it is envisaged that the move will be productive in attracting top sevens playing nations that will be headed for the opening leg of the IRB World Sevens Circuit in Dubai.

The success of the move could act as a springboard to the union’s ambitions and bid to host one of the legs on the IRB World Sevens Circuit.

Already, the IRB has announced its intentions to upgrade the tournaments on the Circuit from eight to 10 next season.

“We have been criticised since the Safari Sevens is always held at the end of the gruelling IRB World Sevens Circuit hence it’s not suited to many IRB teams’ calendars,” said Omwela.

“There has also been concern that our national team players always looked tired after the end of the world circuit. We hope these trial dates will work and that teams will take it positively by using the event as a build up to the Dubai Sevens,” explained Omwela.

The tournament changed its name from the Tusker Safari Sevens to the Safaricom Sevens last year when the mobile telephone provider announced its three-year sponsorship.

Safaricom gave Sh25 million for last year’s action and the package will be increased by a percentage this year and next year.

While the tournament has grown in statue, it has not been able to consistently attract top nations, especially those playing in the IRB World Sevens Series.

Giants Fiji and Samoa were in Nairobi in 2008 and 2009 respectively while another IRB World Sevens Series side, France, featured in the 2006 and 2008 Safari Sevens.

Other IRB Series teams that have played at the Safari Sevens over the years include Zimbabwe, Tunisia, Japan and Namibia.