Kenya’s national men’s rugby sevens side, Shujaa, will face Australia, New Zealand and the United States in Pool C of the opening leg of the HSBC SVNS World Championship the Hong Kong SVNS scheduled for April 17–19 at Kai Tak Sports Park.
The pool allocations released ahead of the tournament place Kenya in one of the most competitive groups, with all three opponents ranked among established sides on the global sevens circuit.
Pool A will feature South Africa, Argentina, Spain and Uruguay, while Pool B brings together Fiji, France, Great Britain and Germany.
The Hong Kong leg marks the first round of the newly structured HSBC SVNS competition calendar, with fixtures and kickoff times expected to be announced later.
EDITOR’S PICKS:
Shujaa head into the tournament buoyed by recent success after securing qualification for the HSBC SVNS World Championship Series following a second-place overall finish in the inaugural three-legged HSBC SVNS 2 campaign.
Kenya concluded the series ranked second with 50 points. The United States topped the standings on 52 points, while Germany finished third with 48 points and Uruguay completed the qualification places with 44 points.
The World Championship Series, introduced under the new SVNS competition format, will feature twelve teams drawn from both Division 1 and Division 2 competing across three venues: Hong Kong, Valladolid in Spain, and Bordeaux in France.
Promotion to the 2026/27 HSBC SVNS Division 1 season will be at stake, with the top eight teams earning elevation while the bottom four sides drop to Division II.
2026 Hong Kong 7s Pools
Pool A:
South Africa
Argentina
Spain
Uruguay
Pool B:
Fiji
France
Great Britain
Germany
Pool C:
Kenya
Australia
New Zealand
USA
