The annual Safari 7s tournament, hosted by the Kenya Rugby Union, is the biggest stage in the region, a proving ground where local talent measures up against international heavyweights. This year, one name stood out from the Kenya Morans lineup, Rayvon Ambale.

His journey to this level is a powerful testament to talent development, spanning continents and top-tier programmes. From his origins at Kabras Academy and Butula High School, Rayvon went on to gain invaluable experience at the UK’s Bryanston School and the rigorous Bath Rugby Academy, culminating in selection for prestigious sides like the Shogun & Wooden Spoon 7s Invitation sides which gave him the confidence against bigger and more experienced players.

Now, returning home to play on the big stage, Rayvon was truly one to watch.

On his arrival he played in 3 of the the national 7s circuit with the following statistics: 

RAYVONE SPORTPESA 7S CIRCUIT STATS

RAYVONE SAFARI 7S STATS

A Resilient Morans Performance

Thanks to his impressive performance on the national 7s circuit, Rayvon was called up to represent the Kenya Morans team, where he was instrumental in a thrilling three days of rugby action. The young Morans team displayed incredible heart and skill, working their way through the competition to secure a highly respectable 3rd place finish overall.

Their Main Cup journey was fiercely competitive and narrowly cut short by the experienced Shogun Invitation side. The Morans showed immense resilience in a tightly contested match, ultimately falling 12-14 in a game that could have gone either way. Finishing among the top three nations and teams showcased the promising future of Kenyan rugby.

The Safari 7s Global Standard

The Safari 7s is renowned globally, often used by international sides as a crucial preparation ground for their busy sevens seasons. The tournament’s caliber was high, with participation from teams such the French Renegades, UK Select, Zimbabwe, Uganda, and Tunisia, among others. Competing successfully against such established international opposition underscores the maturity and readiness of players like Rayvon Ambale.

Rayvon's performance was nothing short of outstanding, not to mention for his first national team call up.  Finishing 3rd highest point scorer of the tournament and 1st in conversions, Rayvon made the tournament Dream Team.  He was also 2nd in the Performance Ranking out of the 144 athletes. His.success is a source of immense pride for everyone involved in his development journey and he is rightly an exciting and true favorite with the fans. We celebrate his performance and look forward to watching him continue to rise on the global rugby stage.