Venue confirmed as Rugby Americas North Sevens returns to Caribbean

The Rugby Americas North (RAN) Sevens regional tournament is set to return to the Caribbean in 2026, with today marking one month until the tournament returnings for a third consecutive season to Trinidad and Tobago.

Being played across the boroughs of Arima and the capital, Port of Spain, the 2026 tournament is set for a venue change after it’s last two iterations saw action at Larry Gomes Stadium.

This year, over a dozen nations are set to converge on the largest stadium in the country, the 23,000-capacity Hasely Crawford Stadium, formerly the National Stadium, for two days of non-stop rugby action on 27-28 November 2026.

Named after the first person from Trinidad and Tobago to win an Olympic gold medal, the venue is set to be a significant upgrade for the RAN Sevens.

The tournament will see action played across the Men’s Tier 1, Men’s Tier 2, and Women’s divisions, with previous iterations hotly contested.

The 2025 iteration of the tournament saw the likes of Canada and Mexico win the men’s and women’s competitions respectively, both sides going on to qualify for the inaugural SVNS 3 tournament in Dubai in January 2026.

The two sides are both set to represent the region again this year at higher levels, heading to Dubai for the second season of SVNS 3 in November as part of a bumper Dubai Sevens event – happening the same weekend as the 2026 RAN Sevens.

The result will potentially see the door open for a new winner in both tournaments, with Caribbean sides Barbados, Bermuda and hosts Trinidad and Tobago all making it to the semi finals of the men’s tournament in 2025.

Jamaica and Mexico are likely to be strong contenders in the men’s tournament, with Jamaica being the last Caribbean side to win the tournament back in 2023, the years since being dominated by the United States and Canada.

The women’s tournament titles has been similarly split between Mexico and Canada across the last decade, but with both sides set for SVNS action the door is open for the likes of Trinidad and Tobago and the Jamaican women’s teams to snap that streak, with both showing encouraging form in previous seasons.

The Rugby Americas North (RAN) Sevens regional tournament is set to return to the Caribbean in 2026.

“Moving to the Hasely Crawford Stadium grounds, the tournament [will be] the core of rugby within Trinidad and Tobago,” Kanisha Vincent, President of the Trinidad and Tobago Rugby Union, told Rugby Americas North.

“There’s always something incredibly special about playing at the national stadium, the atmosphere and the energy are absolutely unmatched.”

The tournament format, participating countries, and schedule are set to be confirmed in the coming weeks.