2011 Safari Sevens
| 2011 Safari Sevens | |
|---|---|
| Host nation |
 Kenya |
| Date | 4–6 November 2011 |
| Cup | |
| Champion |
 Samoa
|
| Runner-up | Samurai Sevens |
| Plate | |
| Winner | Auckland Vikings |
| Runner-up |
 Zimbabwe
|
| Bowl | |
| Winner | Tackling Cancer Tigers |
| Runner-up | Bristol University Select |
| Shield | |
| Winner |
 Uganda
|
| Runner-up |
 Rwanda
|
|
← 2010
2012 →
|
|
The 2011 Safari Sevens were the 16th annual edition of the Safari Sevens.
After 15 years at the RFUEA Ground and growing attendances annually, the Kenya Rugby Football Union decided to take the tournament to the Nyayo National Stadium for the first time. Nyayo is a football and athletics stadium built in 1983 to host the 1987 All-Africa Games and has a capacity of 30,000; the 2010 African Athletics Championships were also held here. It is the headquarters for the Kenya Football Federation and Athletics Kenya. The rationale for the move was to allow room for more spectators as part of the KRU's bid to have the tournament included in the IRB Sevens World Series by 2015; it was reported that IRB observers were in the country to monitor the event.
There were some worries prior to the event about the move, the area is notorious for robbers who attack motorists and pedestrians and at least one murder has been recorded there two years ago. The Police put in place a security plan including road closures to ensure the tournament passed without incident. Parts of Langata Road and Aerodrome Road were closed to motorists apart from those bearing VIP stickers; parking and shuttle busses were also put in place for the fans between the stadium and Highway Secondary School, All Saints Primary School and Kenya Railways Sports Club. Security fears were vindicated after a woman was raped leaving the tournament. Other commentators have said that the area is no more dangerous than the surroundings of the RFUEA Ground and that the attack was partially a result of bad luck or poor judgement to decide to walk home rather than take a taxi or bus.
For the first time the tournament was held in early November, rather than the traditional June, in order to avoid clashes with other world class rugby events so that more prestigious teams could send sides to participate and thus further raise the prominence of the event in the world rugby calendar. The Rugby World Cup 2011 ended in October and the IRB Sevens World Series began two weeks later in late November. The hope is that the Safari Sevens will become a warm-up event to (and possibly even an integral part of) future IRB Sevens World Series.
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Wikipedia