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Hong Kong 7s: Shujaa drawn in demanding pool after successful Sao Paulo outing
31st March, 2026 03:43 PM
The groupings for the forthcoming Hong Kong SVNS tournament have now been finalised ahead of the event set to take place from Friday, April 17, to Sunday, April 19, 2026, at Kai Tak Sports Park.
Hong Kong 7s draw
After earning a place at the upcoming World Championship, following a successful Sao Paulo outing, Kenya’s national rugby sevens team, Shujaa, have been placed in a demanding Pool C alongside top-tier opponents Australia, New Zealand, and the United States.
This draw presents a significant challenge for the Kenyan side as they aim to perform strongly at one of the most prestigious stops on the international sevens circuit.
Elsewhere, Pool A consists of South Africa, Argentina, Spain, and Uruguay, forming a competitive lineup. Pool B will see Fiji, France, Great Britain, and Germany go head-to-head in what promises to be another exciting set of fixtures filled with fast-paced rugby action.
This grouping means Shujaa must be at their very best when facing seasoned teams with proven success in the series. In particular, their clashes against New Zealand and Australia are expected to be crucial in testing the team’s strength and determination.
With the pools confirmed, participating teams are now intensifying their preparations as excitement continues to build for the Hong Kong leg, widely regarded as one of the most popular events on the World Rugby Sevens calendar.
Meanwhile, Kenya’s men’s team has secured qualification for the HSBC SVNS World Championship Series, joining South Africa’s women’s side. This comes after an impressive performance in the final round of the SVNS Division Two tournament held in São Paulo on Saturday, March 28, and Sunday, 29, 2026, where they won four out of five matches.
Sao Paulo outing
After finishing third in the earlier legs held in Kenya and Uruguay, Shujaa improved to second place overall, finishing behind the United States in the three-leg series standings.
The team started strongly in Brazil, defeating Germany 38–7 in their opening match. However, they suffered a narrow 14–12 loss to Belgium before bouncing back with a dominant 40–0 victory over Canada later that day.
That win against Canada confirmed Kenya’s place in the World Championship, having entered the Brazil leg ranked third behind the already-qualified USA and Germany.
On the final day, Kenya continued their fine form, beating the United States 31–14 and later overcoming Uruguay 26–14 to wrap up their campaign.
Their qualification marks a return to the top tier of global rugby sevens after being relegated to SVNS 2 at the end of the 2024–2025 season. On the women’s side, however, Kenya narrowly missed out on qualification after losing 24–12 to hosts Brazil.
