Kenya Shujaa, Lionesses ready to face strong international challengers

Clubs from nine nations are set to converge on one of the biggest weekends of sevens rugby in Africa, as the 2026 Safari Sevens gets underway this weekend.

Six women’s teams and 12 men’s teams are set to do battle across the weekend, with several international invitational sides also set to take part at Nyayo Stadium in Nairobi.

First contested in 1996, this year marks the 30th anniversary of the landmark sevens tournament, with this weekend marking the 28th iteration of the tournament after no event was held in 2017 and during the COVID pandemic.

It has since returned with a vengeance, being recognised as a key tournament on the sevens calendar – and with the hosts now using the event as preparation for their HSBC SVNS World Championship run, this weekend will be critical in the broader African seven’s landscape.

On the women’s front, three of the six teams will be local sides in the Kenya Lionesses, the Junior Lionesses, and their development side, Kenya Cubs, will welcome the likes of the Uganda and Tunisia women’s sevens sides to Nairobi.

The final team joining the women’s competition will be the Tuks Women side from South Africa, who expect to be a dark horse in the tournament, but the defending champion Lionesses will not be taking lightly.

The Lionesses and Tunisia have also been training together ahead of the tournament, playing several warm up fixtures in preparation.

“We have done everything right,” Lionesses skipper Sheila Chajira said to The Standard.

“We are fit. We are ready for the competition, we are very confident to retain the trophy this year.

“We have played several fixtures against Tunisia to gauge ourselves and I can say we are in shape; even the new inclusions in the squad are giving the team value for money.”

Meanwhile, the men’s tournament is set to be split into three pools of four, with international invitational side Shogun taking on the French Renegades, the Southern California Nomads, and the Wellington Jaguars from New Zealand.

Kenya will feature two locals sides of their own, with secondary side the Kenya Morans set to compete against the champions of the Ugandan 2026 Africa Men’s Sevens Series, Zimbabwe, the Gel Squad 7s side from South Africa and second French invitational side, the Wonder 7s in Pool C.

The national Kenyan side, the Shujaa, fresh off a win in the Mauritius Sevens leg of the 2026 Africa Men’s Sevens Series last weekend, will take on Uganda, the Fast Forward 7s representative side from South Africa, and the Scotland Sevens national side in Pool A.

The Shujaa will be looking to defend their 2025 crown, but are set to be challenged by Uganda, who finished as runners up in their first leg of the 2026 Africa Men’s Sevens Series in Kampala.

Then, there is Scotland, who will bring over a squad of Edinburgh Rugby and Glasgow Warriors Academy prospects and members of the Scottish Thistles side who competed at the Melrose Sevens earlier this year, captained by senior international Ross McCann.

“We’ve got a good mix of club, National Talent Pathway, Academy, and professional players in our squad for our trip to Kenya, which is exactly what it’s all about,” Head Coach Ciaran Beattie said to Scotland Rugby News.

“Struan White is an exciting young player coming up through the club game, much like Murray Waugh from an NTP side of things, and we’re really excited to see them wear the Thistle at an international stage.

“A lot of the academy selections have come on leaps and bounds over the last few weeks with us, or over the last year through different camp selections and involvements.

“We’re really looking forward to seeing how they’re going to mix in with our professional core and fight for a positive weekend in Nairobi, Kenya.”

The tournament is set to take place from 9th-11th October 2026 at Nyayo Stadium in Nairobi.

2026 SAFARI SEVENS POOLS

MEN’S TOURNAMENT

POOL A: Kenja Shujaa, Uganda, Fast Forward 7s, Scotland

POOL B: Shogun, French Renegades, Southern California Nomads, Wellington Jaguars

POOL C: Kenya Morans, Zimbabwe, Gel Squads 7s, Wonder 7s

WOMEN’S TOURNAMENT:

TEAMS: Kenya Lionesses, Uganda, Kenya Cubs, Tunisia, Tuks Women, Junior Lionesses