Shujaa’s HSBC promotion race: Standings and qualification prospects after Hong Kong 7s
By Luke Oluoch, April 20, 2026The task for the Kenya Rugby Sevens to make it back to the World Sevens Championship remains open, yet daunting at the same time.
This comes after Kevin Wambua’s charges have landed in a formidable Pool A for the next circuit in Valladolid, Spain. The leg, scheduled for May 29 to May 31, 2026, will see Kenya pit its wits against heavyweights South Africa, Great Britain, and Australia.
This follow-up task will once again test the team’s mettle, coming hot on the heels of a gruelling Hong Kong leg where Shujaa came face to face against Australia, New Zealand, and a familiar foe in the Eagles of the USA.
Hong Kong exploits
An impressive leg in the concluded Hong Kong series saw Shujaa attain a seventh-place finish after a bitter last-gasp try by the Blitzboks in the Hong Kong quarterfinals curtailed their subsequent progress to the advanced stages.
The defeat saw Kenya drop to the seventh-place playoff, where they eventually overcame France to finish 7th overall.
The ranks notwithstanding, the series offered renewed optimism for Wambua’s team even as they remain as good as their last performance.
A difficult start to life saw Kenya fight back to narrowly lose out to Australia after trailing 14-0 at halftime.
The fight back continued against New Zealand, where glimpses of improvement ended in a 28-12 defeat in their second test.
Shujaa bounced back to their winning ways after beating the USA 17-10 on Saturday morning, April 18, 2026. Before the main cup quarter-finals loss to South Africa, the eventual leg winners.
Heading to Valladolid, Kenya will renew its rivalry with South Africa, the newly crowned Hong Kong Sevens winners, who edged out Argentina to bag the ultimate prize.
Following the seventh-place finish in the Hong Kong circuit that concluded on Sunday, April 20
Two more legs are remaining to determine the teams that secure promotion back to Division One.
Battle for points
Having already qualified for this championship by finishing in the top 4 of the “SVNS 2” second tier, they now compete against the top 8 core teams to secure their spot.
Qualification task
To qualify for the 2026/27 HSBC and attain top-tier status, Shujaa needs to retain their progress above the quarter-final stages in the remaining two legs to get a promotion.
The team earned eight points in relation to the winner, the Springboks, who got 20 from Hong Kong, as the promotion race heats up.
Heading to an equally demanding leg in Spain, Shujaa have their work cut out and need to maintain their performances above the quarter-final stages and beyond to stand any chance of promotion with the remaining couple of legs.
After Valladolid, Shujaa’s focus will shift to Bordeaux, France, starting on Friday, June 5, 2026.
Aggregate points from all three legs will determine the 2025–26 champions, with a finish outside the top 8 confirming relegation back to tier 2.
Standings after Hong Kong
1. South Africa – 20 Points
2. Argentina – 18
3. Spain – 16
4. New Zealand -14
5. Fiji -12
6. Australia -10
7. Kenya Sevens – 8
8. France -6
9. Uruguay – 4
10. Great Britain -3
11. Germany -2
12. USA -1