The 2026 National Sevens Circuit (NSC) gets underway this weekend with the Prinsloo 7s at the Nakuru Athletic Club, marking the start of a six-leg campaign expected to deliver two months of top-flight rugby sevens action across the country.
The opening tournament, scheduled for July 25 and 26, ushers in a revamped competition format, with significant changes introduced in the Division Two and women’s categories, while the Division One structure remains unchanged.
In the men’s top tier, 16 teams will compete in four pools of four. At the end of the preliminary matches, the top two teams from each group will progress to the Cup quarter-finals before advancing to the semi-finals and final. Teams finishing outside the top two will contest classification matches to determine positions ninth to 16th.
Division Two has been streamlined from 20 teams to 16, adopting the same four-pool format used in Division One. The competition will feature relegated teams from the previous top-flight leg, the highest-ranked Division Two sides from the previous tournament, and regional qualifiers from the host region.
The women’s competition has also been restructured. All eight participating teams will be placed in a single division split into two pools. Every team will advance to the quarter-finals, with winners progressing to the semi-finals and title match, while the remaining sides compete for fifth to eighth-place rankings.
Following the season opener in Nakuru, the circuit heads to Kisumu for the Dala 7s on August 1 and 2 before taking a one-week break. Action resumes in Nairobi with the Kabeberi 7s on August 15 and 16 before moving to Mombasa for the Driftwood 7s a week later.
The campaign then shifts to Embu in early September before concluding with the Christie 7s at the RFUEA Grounds in Nairobi. The season will culminate with the Safari 7s, scheduled for October 9 to 11 in Nairobi.
Beyond the race for silverware, the circuit continues to serve as a platform for emerging players to impress selectors and stake their claim for places in Kenya’s national sevens setup.
Attention in Nakuru will also be on defending Prinsloo 7s champions Strathmore Leos, who begin the defence of the title they claimed last year after defeating KCB Rugby 24-7 in the final.
The Leos have been drawn in Pool B alongside Daystar Falcons, MMUST RFC and Kisumu RFC.
Kenya Cup champions Kabras Sugar headline Pool A, where they will battle Kenya Harlequin, Mwamba RFC and Embu RFC in what is expected to be one of the most competitive groups.
Overall National Sevens Circuit holders KCB Rugby begin their title defence in Pool C against CUEA Monks, Nondescripts and promoted side NYS Spades, who earned promotion after winning the Division Two title.
Hosts Nakuru RFC will lead Pool D, where they face Menengai Oilers, Impala RFC and Blak Blad.
KCB Rugby enter the new season as defending circuit champions after dominating the 2025 campaign. The bankers amassed a record 126 points, reached all six Cup finals, won four tournament titles and secured their fifth overall National Sevens Circuit crown. Strathmore Leos finished second overall, while Menengai Oilers completed the top three.
