Kenyan Rugby Union confirms overhaul of National Sevens Circuit div two

The National Sevens Circuit is set to see further changes ahead of the 2026 season, with the Kenyan Rugby Union (KRU) confirming an overhaul of the Division Two format of the competition.

The 2026 series of the circuit is already set to look markedly different, off increased investment into the competition that will see an additional Sh 34.14 million (AUD$382,000) in funding, double the amount invested in 2025.

Off the back of this, the tournament is now set to feature six legs running from July to September, taking place in Kisumu, Nairobi, Mombasa and Embu.

In addition, this has come with more legs in the women’s series and the introduction of development competitions in the form of U16s and U18s boys’ and girls’ competitions being played in the lead up to each weekend’s action.

Now, the KRU has unveiled plans to streamline Division Two of the competition in an attempt to increase competitiveness, with a reduction of men’s teams from 20 to 16.

Mirroring Division One, Division Two will now see four pools of four teams, with a progression to quarterfinals, semifinals and final.

In addition, the new format will incorporate a promotion and relegation style with the top division, with the top performing Division Two team earning promotion and the lowest-ranked Division One side being relegated.

The 16 team format will consist of four teams relegated from the previous leg and the top four finishers from the Division Two pools from the previous leg – excluding the final winner, who will be promoted to Division One.

The nine remaining slots will be taken up by regional teams from each city, adding a variable element to the regions depending on who is promoted and relegated.

The women’s Second Division will also be restructured, with the current eight team format being maintained and split into two pools of four, with all sides advancing to the quarterfinals, followed by semifinals and the final.

The focus on women’s rugby investment across all divisions has come from the governing body setting a goal of the women’s team achieving qualification for the HSBC SVNS World Series within the next two years.

“The participating clubs in the women’s category will play five of the six legs in a move meant to spur growth for the women’s game and create a foundation for the Lionesses as they set their sights on becoming a core team in the next two years,” Wambua said to The Star back in June.

“We are very deliberate with this move to see the women’s game grow and to see as many of our girls play competitive rugby.”

The 2026 National Sevens Series is set to get underway this weekend, with the final leg of the tournament concluding on September 13th in Nairobi.

Following this, the tournament will lead into the Safari 7s in October, which is open to international representative sides.

2026 NATIONAL 7S CIRCUIT SCHEDULE

• Prinsloo 7s, Nakura – 25-26 July 2026

• Dala 7s, Kisumu – 1-2 August 2026

• Kabeberi 7s, Pangani – 15-16 August 2026

• Driftwood 7s, Mombasa – 22-23 August 2026

• Embu 7s, Embu – 5-6 September 2026

• Christie 7s, RFUEA Grounds, Nairobi – 12-13 September 2026