Shujaa, Lionesses earn promotion to SVNS Series Division II after stellar LA campaign

Kenya’s national rugby sevens teams, Shujaa and the Lionesses, have secured promotion to the HSBC SVNS Series Division II after impressive performances at the promotion and relegation playoffs held over the weekend at Dignity Health Sports Park in Los Angeles.

Shujaa delivered a statement victory in the men’s final, overwhelming Canada 24-5 to secure their spot in the new-look SVNS Division II.

The win served as sweet revenge after Canada edged them 12-7 in last year’s playoffs to send Kenya tumbling out of the top-tier series.

Kenya’s intentions were clear from the kickoff. Former captain Anthony Omondi Mboya made an immediate impact, crossing the line in the opening minute to hand Shujaa a 5-0 lead.

He followed it up with a second try just two minutes later, converted by Nygel Amaitsa, to extend the advantage to 12-0.

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Momentum stayed firmly in Kenya’s favor as Vincent Onyala, brilliantly set up by Kevin Wekesa, added a third try.

Amaitsa was again on target with the boot, giving Shujaa a commanding 19-0 lead at the break.

Onyala completed his brace in the second half, pushing the scoreline to 24-0 before Canada managed a late consolation through James Thiel.

Shujaa’s dominant display booked them a place in SVNS Division II alongside the USA and Uruguay for the upcoming season.

Lionesses Punch Ticket to 2026 Series

Not to be outdone, the Kenya Lionesses capped off a gritty and resilient campaign with a hard-fought 17-14 win over South Africa in the women’s playoff final, securing their slot in the 2026 HSBC SVNS Division II.

After suffering heavy pool-stage defeats to Spain (33-14) and Brazil (28-10), the Lionesses bounced back with a narrow 7-5 win over Colombia to advance to the playoffs.

Their fighting spirit came to the fore in the final against arch-rivals South Africa.

South Africa drew first blood with Madine Roos scoring and converting in the second minute.

Kenya responded through Freshia Oduor’s try in the fourth minute, though the conversion by Sinaida Nyachio fell short.

The Lionesses took the lead just before halftime through Sharon Auma, but again missed the conversion.

A yellow card to Judith Okumu gave South Africa a window of opportunity, which they seized as Shiniqwa Lamprecht scored and Roos converted to make it 14-10.

But the momentum shifted when Alicia Wilense was sent off with a red card, leaving South Africa a player down.

Oduor struck again in the 14th minute, and Nyachio nailed the clutch conversion to seal a 17-14 win under the watch of referee Sunny Lee.

The Lionesses held firm in the dying seconds, sealing a historic return to the international stage for 2026.

CONFIRMED: Kenya Sevens suffer automatic relegation after HSBC SVNS changes format

New SVNS Series Format for 2026

The SVNS Series will adopt a new three-division format starting next season:

Division 1: Features eight men’s and eight women’s teams competing in six high-profile SVNS Series events.

Division 2: Comprises six teams per gender, battling it out across three events.

Division 3: A standalone Challenger event featuring eight teams per gender, who qualify through regional competitions.

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The season will culminate in a SVNS World Championship Series, featuring the top 12 men’s and women’s teams—eight from Division 1 and four from Division 2—competing in three blockbuster events to determine the world champions.

The eight teams competing at the HSBC SVNS World Championship 2025 in Los Angeles (May 3–4) will automatically qualify as Division 1 teams for the 2026 Series.