NAIROBI, Kenya, November 26, 2025 – Kenya is set to host the opening leg of the World Rugby Sevens Series Division 2 in February next year.
Confirming the news, Kenya Rugby Union (KRU) CEO Thomas Odundo said the development is a honour to which they will strive to do justice by staging an unforgettable event.
“We’re extremely delighted and privileged to have been selected to host the first leg of HSBC Sevens 2 taking place in February from the 14th to the 15th in Nairobi. It is indeed a great honor to have been selected and we would like to welcome everybody from near and far to the city of Nairobi for the event,” Odundo said.
The decision was formally announced on Wednesday afternoon during World Rugby’s official launch for the HSBC SVNS 2026 season, which features a new format of competition in contrast to last year.
Division 2 is a second-tier competition that will feature six teams each in the men’s and ladies categories respectively.
Already, eight teams, including Kenya’s Shujaa and Lionesses, have been confirmed for the three-leg competition that will also be staged in Brazil and Uruguay.
Other teams in contention include United States, Uruguay and Germany in the men’s division whereas Brazil, China and Spain will duel with the Lionesses in the women’s category.
Dream come true
Hosting a leg of the World Rugby 7s Series has been a dream for KRU for the longest time, following the success of the Safari 7s.
In 2023, then chair Alexander ‘Sasha’ Mutai outlined his vision of transforming the Safari 7s into a leg of the prestigious competition.
Ahead of the Africa Women’s 7s a fortnight ago, Odundo revealed that Kenya had bid to host a leg of Division 2, with the government subsequently approving the same.
At the same time, Sports Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya affirmed the government’s support for the bid, expressing optimism that the competition will be held at the 60,000-seater Talanta Stadium, which is presently under construction.
