Pools for the upcoming Hong Kong SVNS have been confirmed ahead of the tournament scheduled for April 17–19 at the Kai Tak Sports Park.
Kenya’s national sevens side, Shujaa, have been drawn into a challenging Pool C, where they will face rugby powerhouses Australia, New Zealand, and the United States.
The grouping sets up a tough test for the Kenyan side as they look to make an impact at one of the most iconic stops on the global sevens circuit.
Pool A features a strong lineup of South Africa, Argentina, Spain, and Uruguay, while Pool B brings together Fiji, France, Great Britain, and Germany promising another thrilling round of high-intensity sevens rugby.
The draw raises the stakes for Shujaa, who will need to be at their best against seasoned opponents with strong track records in the series.
Matches against New Zealand and Australia, in particular, are expected to be key tests of Kenya’s form and resilience.
With the pools now confirmed, teams are entering the final phase of preparations as anticipation builds for the Hong Kong leg, widely regarded as a fan-favourite event on the World Rugby Sevens calendar.
Meanwhile Kenya men have joined South Africa’s women’s team in qualifying for the HSBC SVNS World Championship Series after the East Africans cruised to four wins out of five in the final leg of the SVNS Division Two tournament in São Paulo, on Saturday, March 28 and Sunday, March 29.
Having finished in third place in the first two editions — at home in Kenya in February and in Uruguay last week — Shujaa’s impressive showing in São Paulo saw them finish second overall behind the USA at the conclusion of the three-legged SVNS contest.
The Kenyans were in sizzling form from the outset, outclassing the already-qualified Germany 38–7 in their opening game in Brazil on Saturday.
Shujaa, however, succumbed to a shock 14–12 defeat to Belgium in their second match, but responded in style with a thumping 40–0 win over Canada later the same day.
That victory over Canada secured qualification for Kenya, who had come into the Brazil leg in third place behind the USA and Germany, both already assured of places in the World Championship.
On Sunday evening, Kenya overcame the United States 31–14 before dispatching Uruguay 26–14 to conclude the tournament.
The Kenyans are now back among the world’s elite after being relegated to SVNS 2 at the end of the 2024–2025 season.
Meanwhile, Kenya Women missed out on qualification to the World Championship following a 24–12 defeat to hosts Brazil at the weekend.
Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Youth Affairs, Creative Economy and Sports, Hon. Salim Mvurya, congratulated Shujaa and consoled the Lionesses.
