Festus Shiasi outlines Kenya Sevens’ goals for HSBC Division 2 after South Africa camp
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Reading Time: 3min | Mon. 26.01.26. | 12:46
For the first time in history, Kenya will host the leg from Saturday, 14 to Sunday, 15 February at the Nyayo National Stadium, Nairobi
Kenya Sevens’ ace Festus Shiasi is confident that Shujaa are well prepared for the 2026 HSBC SVNS Division 2 season following an intensive one-week high-performance training camp in South Africa.
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Shujaa were in South Africa for a week, where they trained alongside the Blitzboks, Western Province, and the Rhinos in a camp that formed a critical part of Kenya’s build-up to the opening leg of the Division 2 circuit.
For the first time in history, Kenya will host the leg from Saturday, 14 to Sunday, 15 February at the Nyayo National Stadium, Nairobi.
“The camp was very impactful. It gave us a clear picture of where we are as a team. Training with the Blitzboks, while Western Province also played a key role, helped us measure ourselves against the best and pick up valuable lessons ahead of the HSBC series,” Shiasi told Mozzart Sport.
The six-team Division 2 series will then move to Montevideo, Uruguay (March 21–22) before concluding in São Paulo, Brazil (March 28–29).
Each tournament will feature six teams per gender, with the top four advancing to the SVNS World Championship.
From the combined 12 teams at the championship stage, the top eight will earn promotion to Division 1 status for the 2027 SVNS season, offering Shujaa a clear route back to the elite tier.
Both the men’s team and the Kenya Lionesses will compete in Division 2 in 2026, with confirmed men’s teams including Kenya, USA, Uruguay, and Germany.
Shiasi noted that the South Africa camp was particularly valuable in sharpening the team’s tactical awareness, especially with new faces coming into the squad.
“Most of the lessons were tactical; understanding the game better, especially with new players coming in. We tried new combinations and new players, and now we believe we have the best group possible,” he said.
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Looking ahead to the campaign, Shiasi said the team’s ambitions are clear, starting with the Nairobi leg.
“We aim to win the first leg, then push to win every leg. By the time we get to the playoffs, we want to finish in the top eight. We are confident, ready, and well prepared, especially after the camp in South Africa,” he added.
Last year, after the Safari 7s, Shiasi was trending within local rugby circles due to his impressive physical conditioning.
We sought to understand the secret to his physique.
“There’s no secret to this body, just hard work in the gym. No doping,” Shiasi said with a laugh.
South Africa has increasingly become a key development hub for Kenyan rugby.
Several locally based players, including Kabras RFC’s Jackson Siketa, Kisumu’s David Williams, Impala’s Andrew Matoka, and Mwamba’s Dennis Ndayala, have previously sharpened their skills through the Rhinos’ high-performance camp in Cape Town.
Overseas-based players such as Collins Shikoli and Alvin Marube have also benefited from similar programmes, an approach that mirrors preparations recently adopted by the Kenya Simbas ahead of the Rugby Africa Cup, the qualifier for the 2027 Rugby World Cup.
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