Kenya has been selected to host one round of the HSBC Division 2 World Rugby Sevens Series in February 2026. The event will take place at Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi, with Kenya's Shujaa and Lionesses teams participating. This is a major milestone after nearly a decade of bids.
Kenya has been chosen by World Rugby to host one round of the HSBC Division 2 sevens rugby world series. The tournament is scheduled for February 14-15, 2026, at Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi. Both the men's Shujaa and women's Lionesses teams will compete.
The country has pursued hosting rights for nearly a decade. "World Rugby examined Kenya's capacity to organize major events. It was satisfied that we have hosted the under-20 world championship in 2009 and 2023, as well as the Africa Sevens Cup on November 15-16," explained KRU Chief Executive Officer Thomas Odundo.
Odundo noted that World Rugby was impressed by modern hotels, excellent facilities, and strong fan support. Kenya submitted its bid immediately after World Rugby invited nations in June 2025. World Rugby's Competitions Director, Nigel Cass, visited Nairobi on November 14 to inspect Nyayo and Talanta City venues.
Other rounds will occur in Montevideo, Uruguay, and Sao Paulo, Brazil. Each will feature six men's and six women's teams. The top four from the three rounds will join the bottom four from the top-tier HSBC SVNS Series to determine promotion to the elite league for 2026-2027.
Recently, Shujaa finished third in the Africa Men's Cup in June in Mauritius, while Lionesses took second in the Women's Cup on November 15-16 at RFUEA in Nairobi. These results position the hosts to perform strongly at home and abroad.