The 17th edition of the Safari Sevens — now named Safaricom Sevens because of the sponsors — runs from September 21 to 23 at the Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi.

This year’s tournament will see a revamped Kenyan national team under former England coach Mike Friday, and strength and conditioning coach Chris Brown from New Zealand, ahead of the 2012-2013 international Sevens season.

Last year, Samoa beat a hard fighting Samurai 31-12 in the finals.

KRU has been restructuring the national Sevens team for the past year with new technical bench headed by Friday.

Kenya will field two sides in this year’s tournament, Kenya Sevens and Kenya Shujaa, as Friday assesses the players before naming the 2012/2013 IRB World Sevens Circuit.

Shujaa won the 2000 championships that coincided with the 2001 RWC Sevens qualifying round in Nairobi.

Among the Kenya team are the 2008-2009 IRB World Sevens Circuit top scorer Collins Injera, Lavin Asego, Horace Otieno, Biko Adema, Sydney Ashioya, Oscar Ouma and William Ambaka.

Former Kenya Sevens captain Humphrey Kayange, who is currently studying at Bristol University, will captain Bristol Barracuda that has five Welsh players.

East African Breweries Ltd were title sponsors from 1997, when the event was called Tusker Safari Sevens, with the company spending Ksh24 million ($286,000) in 2008 and Ksh26 million ($315,000) in 2009.

Telecommunications firm Safaricom took over title sponsorship in 2010 with a three-year partnership deal with Kenya Rugby Union. Safaricom ploughed in Ksh25 million ($300,000) in 2010.

Safaricom’s director of corporate affairs Nzioka Waita says the company will renew its sponsorship of the event next year, at a price to be agreed on by the two parties. “We are certainly interested in continuing our partnership,” said Waita.

“It is our hope and dream that Safaricom Sevens will soon join the IRB World Sevens Series,” said Waita. “We are calling on the government to support this tournament because incorporation into the IRB circuit would boost Kenya’s sports tourism drive,” he added.

In 2011, the venue moved from the RFUEA grounds to the Nyayo National Stadium, and Safaricom spent Ksh30.2 million ($360,000) on the event. This year, Safaricom has set aside Ksh32.6 million ($390,000) for the tournament.

“Our ultimate goal is to get admission into the IRB series while at the same time ensuring that our fans have a great experience. That is why we had to settle for Nyayo National Stadium,” said KRU chairman Mwangi Muthee.

However, the event does not offer prize money. Pundits say cash rewards may encourage consistent participation by the IRB top sides.

“Soon we shall reach there. At the moment most of the cash raised goes to participating teams and accommodation, among other logistics,” said Muthee.

“IRB will review its venues in 2015 and it will take concerted efforts from the union, the government and stakeholders to win the bid to have an IRB leg,” he added.

Interestingly, the most successful sevens coach in the world, Gordon Tietjens, who was the chief guest during the 2010 Safaricom Safari Sevens, will grace this year’s championship in a different capacity.

Fresh from being inducted into the IRB Hall of Fame in May 2012, Tietjens will be in the country on behalf of New Zealand Rugby Union to monitor nine All Black players, who are part of  Samurai International ahead of the IRB Sevens season.

Among the players is  kingpin and player maker Lote Raikabula, who is described at the ‘little’ magician. Some of All Blacks players making the Samurai team are Julian Savea, Scott Curry, Ed Cocker, Zar Lawrence, Rocky Kahn,  Chad Tuoroand Jack Wilson.

Others are All Blacks Sevens trialist Warwick Lahmertare, former All Blacks junior international Faifele Levave and Nathan Hohaia. Also in the Samurai’s team is former Fiji Sevens captain utility back Naisoni Roko.

Over the years, the tournament has attracted IRB World Sevens top teams like Fiji, France, Samoa, Spain and Japan. Samoa, who have been the most successful team, winning the diadem on debut 2005 before recapturing the title last year in a team that had the 2009-2010 IRB World Sevens Circuit top try scorer and player of the season, Mikaele Pesamino. 

Tunisia, Morocco, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Uganda have had strong representation.

The Emerging Springboks from South Africa has left memorable moments to emerge as the most successful team after six-time champions Kenya.

Emerging Boks won in 2006 and 2007, besides reaching the finals before losing to Kenya in 2003 and 2004, and during the 2008, 2009 and 2010 tournaments.