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SportPesa, the renowned gaming brand led by Kenyan tycoon Ronald Karauri, has reaffirmed its commitment to Kenyan rugby by injecting more than $260,000 to support the national team, Kenya Sevens, known as Shujaa.
This move comes after rumors that the gaming brand was planning to withdraw its support after the team’s relegation from the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series last month.
In a bid to boost the national team’s participation in the rugby series, SportPesa announced a Ksh15 million title sponsorship for the 2023 National Sevens Circuit and an additional Ksh22 million sponsorship for the 2023/2024 Kenya Sevens season.
With this significant capital injection totaling Ksh37 million ($263,300), SportPesa cements its position as one of the key players in the country’s gaming industry and East Africa’s gaming industry at large.
SportPesa CEO Ronald Karauri expressed the brand’s unwavering belief in the game’s potential during the sponsorship launch. He emphasized that SportPesa is committed to the long-term development of rugby in Kenya.
As part of this commitment, six hosting clubs — Kisumu (Dala Sevens), Mombasa (Driftwood), Nakuru (Prinsloo), Nairobi (Christie), Eldoret (Tisap), and Nairobi (Kabeberi) — will each receive Ksh1 million to support their operations.
The revamped SportPesa Sevens Circuit will offer lucrative rewards for participating teams. The top-three sides in each leg of the top-tier men’s competition will be awarded Ksh100,000, Ksh50,000 ($355), and Ksh25,000 ($177), respectively.
The ultimate champions of the annual event will take home Ksh400,000 ($2,845), while the second and third-placed teams will receive Ksh200,000 ($1,430) and Ksh150,000 ($1,070), respectively.
In addition to the men’s competition, SportPesa will support the women’s teams, with Prinsloo, Christie, and Kabeberi hosting their competitions. The top two sides in each leg of the women’s circuit will be rewarded with Ksh70,000 ($498) and Ksh30,000 ($213), respectively.
SportPesa, which initially launched under the umbrella of Pevans East Africa, has grown into a global gaming company under the leadership of Ronald Karauri. With more than 500 employees and operations in Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, Nigeria, Italy, Ireland, and the Isle of Man, SportPesa has become a major player in the industry over the last six years.
Earlier this year, the gaming brand announced a major restructuring process to enhance its technology and systems to improve customer experience.
The restructuring focuses on streamlining operations, upgrading technology, and strengthening customer support to expand SportPesa’s reach into new markets.
