- The Kenya 7s, Shujaa, have been placed in Pool A of the World 7s Series Promotion/Relegation Playoffs, alongside the USA, Samoa, and Portugal.
- The Kenya Lionesses have also been drawn in Pool A, where they will face Spain, Brazil, and Colombia.
- The tournament is set for May 3–4, 2025, at Dignity Health Sports Park in Los Angeles.
The Kenya national sevens teams, Shujaa and Kenya Lionesses, have discovered their opponents and kickoff times for the upcoming Promotion/Relegation playoffs at the HSBC World Sevens Series, scheduled for May 3–4, 2025, at the Dignity Health Sports Park in Los Angeles.
After finishing ninth in the overall standings and narrowly missing the automatic qualification, Kenya 7s headline Pool A, where they will face the USA, who ended at the bottom of the regular season, alongside Portugal and Samoa—two of the top four teams emerging from the Challenger Series.
In Los Angeles, their campaign begins against Samoa on May 3rd at 9:28 PM, followed by a clash with Portugal the next day at 12:51 AM, before concluding their Pool A fixtures against the USA at 9:28 PM.
Samoa are no strangers to Shujaa, having previously clashed in the Paris Olympics Rugby 7s, where Samoa dominated Kenya with a 26-0 victory in the final group match, eliminating them in the main cup contention.
However, Kenya avenged that defeat in the ninth-place playoff finals, with Kevin Wambua guiding them to a triumphant finish.
The two sides also met in the World Rugby Series promotion campaign in Madrid, Spain, where Shujaa secured a thrilling 19-12 win.
Against the USA, Kenya recently triumphed in the Perth 7s, edging them 26-21 in the ninth-place semifinal playoffs, and repeated the feat in the Hong Kong 7s with a 17-10 victory in the same stage.
In Pool B of the men’s category, Uruguay, Ireland, Canada, and Germany will battle it out in another fiercely contested group, with all eight teams vying for a coveted top-four finish to secure their place in the top tier competition.
This marks the third appearance for Kenya, Uruguay, and Canada in the promotion playoffs since the format’s introduction in 2023.
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Kenya 7s the Lionesses eye 2026 HSBC Series after Challenger Series triumph
Meanwhile, the Challenger Series champions, Kenya Lionesses, will spearhead Playoff Pool A alongside Spain, Brazil, and Colombia.
Their opening match against Spain kicks off on May 3rd at 10:12 PM, followed by a showdown with Brazil the next day at 1:35 AM, before wrapping up their group stage against Colombia at 8:44 PM.
With all these opponents familiar to Dennis Mwanja’s squad, they will be determined to overcome them and secure a coveted spot in the 2026 HSBC Series.
In Pool B of the women’s playoffs, African giants South Africa will lock horns with Ireland another rematch from the Challenger Series—alongside China and Argentina.
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Championship tournament
Elsewhere, eight teams will compete in the Championship tournament, featuring the top eight finishers from the regular season.
In the men’s Championship Pool A, reigning overall champions Argentina will face off against South Africa, France, and Great Britain, while Pool B will be led by Fiji, the runners-up in the regular season, alongside Spain, Australia, and New Zealand.
World 7S Series Promotion/Relegation Playoffs
Men’s Category
Pool A: Kenya 7s, USA, Portugal, Samoa
Pool B: Uruguay, Ireland, Canada, Germany
Women’s Category
Pool A: Kenya, Spain, Brazil, Colombia
Pool B: South Africa, Ireland, China, Argentina
LA Championships tournament Pools
Men
Pool A: Argentina, South Africa, France, Great Britain
Pool B: Fiji, Spain, Australia, New Zealand
Women
Pool A: New Zealand, Canada, Japan, Great Britain
Pool B: Australia, France, USA, Fiji