The race to qualify for the HSBC SVNS Championship will be a thrilling finale in São Paulo on 28-29th March, following the conclusion of the SVNs 2 Montevideo leg at the Estadio Charrúa , where Kenya national 7s men's rugby team (Shujaa) finished at third position with 16 Points while their female counterparts Lionesses finished at sixth place with 10 Points.
Shujaa played five games in total, won three and lost two, while the Lionesses won only one out of five, losing the other four, something that ladies captain Sheila Chajira had told Radio Generation before their departure to Montevideo, that the team is a work in progress.
"We have a national team that is a blend of a few veterans and a lot of youngsters coming in. Most of them are new on international stage and need some time to adapt to the pressure," Chajira told Radio Generation.
"Our goal has always been to qualify for division one rugby, we are going to give in our best, whether the results will or will not favor us, we will fight to the bitter end."
United States national rugby sevens team and Germany national rugby sevens team are tied at the top of the men's standings with 38 points each, as Kenya 7s sit third with 32 points after back-to-back third-place finishes in Nairobi and Montevideo, keeping them firmly in contention for qualification.
Hosts Uruguay sevens team are fourth with 28 points, while Canada national sevens team and Belgium national sevens team are tied on 22 points in fifth and sixth respectively.
On the women’s side, Argentina women’s national rugby sevens team lead the standings with 40 points, followed by South Africa women’s national rugby sevens team on 34, the same points as Spain women’s national rugby sevens team, but sit third, while China women’s national rugby sevens team occupy fourth place with 28 points.
Brazil women’s national rugby sevens team are fifth with 22 points, as Kenya women’s national rugby sevens team round off the standings in sixth place, also on 22 points.
With one leg remaining in São Paulo, the stakes are clear, only the top four teams in each category will secure qualification to the SVNS Championship.
For Shujaa, the mission will be to maintain or improve their position and fend off pressure from Uruguay, while the Lionesses face an uphill task to break into the top four in Sao Paulo Sevens from 28th to 29th March 2026, Brazil.
Shujaa's Fixtures on Saturday 28th March:
Kenya Sevens vs Germany - 4:22 PM
Kenya Sevens vs Belgium - 7:12 PM
Kenya Sevens vs Canada - 10:21 PM
Sunday 29th March:
Kenya Sevens vs USA - 5:44 PM
Kenya Sevens vs Uruguay - 8:34 PM
Kenya Lionesses fixtures, Saturday 28th March
Kenya Lionesses vs Argentina -;5:28 PM
Kenya Lionesses vs South Africa - 8:18 PM
Kenya Lionesses vs Spain - 11:05 PM
Sunday 29 March:
Kenya Lionesses vs China - 6:06 PM
Kenya Lionesses vs Brazil - 10:02 PM
