- Kenya Lionesses lost to Brazil in the overall fourth-place decider, ending their hopes of qualifying for the HSBC SVNS World Championship Series.
- The Lionesses fell 24–12 in the third leg of SVNS 2 in Sao Paulo, Brazil, held at Estádio Nicolau Alayon from March 28–29.
- Simon Odongo’s side has now been eliminated and returns to the regional Challenger level, where they will aim to rebuild and compete again next season.
The women’s national 7s side, Kenya Lionesses, missed a golden opportunity to qualify for the World Championship Series after falling 24–12 to Brazil in the fourth-place decider at the final leg of the HSBC SVNS 2 in São Paulo.
The Kenya Lionesses only needed to topple the hosts at Estadio Nicolau Alayon in that decisive match on Sunday March 29, to finish top of the table, but Brazil proved resilient, securing the victory to clinch first place while also taking the fourth spot overall and qualifying for the Championship set to kick off next month the pathway to HSBC SVNS 1.
Cominginto this leg, the Lionesses were sitting at the bottom of the standings with 22 points, but the permutations for fourth place were still within reach, especially with China enduring a poor outing in this stage.
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Under Simon Odongo, the team had a promising first day, securing two wins from three matches, which saw them head into the second day at the summit, needing two crucial victories.
They managed to beat China, but Brazil once again proved too strong, finishing first on home soil while the Kenya Lionesses settled for second place, ultimately not enough to secure qualification.
As a result, the Kenya Lionesses have been eliminated and will return to the drawing board, aiming to rebuild from their shortcomings at this level.
They will restart from the regional Challenger level next season, hoping to climb back into SVNS 3, then SVNS 2, and, if they can develop into a formidable side, eventually reach SVNS 1 by 2028.
Next up for the qualifying sides, the three-tournament HSBC SVNS World Championship Series which kicks off in Hong Kong on 17 April, before moving to Valladolid in May, and finishing up in Bordeaux in June.
HSBC SVNS 2 qualifiers USA, Germany, Kenya and Uruguay will join the eight main HSBC SVNS Series men’s sides – South Africa, Fiji, Australia, New Zealand, France, Argentina, Spain and Great Britain – in the draw.
In the women’s competition, qualifying sides Argentina, Spain, South Africa and Brazil will line up alongside core sides New Zealand, Australia, USA, France, Canada, Fiji, Japan and Great Britain.
Kenya 7s Schedule & Results – HSBC SVNS 2 in Sao Paulo, Brazil (March 28–29, 2026)
Kenya Lionesses
Saturday, March 28
- Kenya Lionesses 12-19 Argentina
- Kenya Lionesses 14-5 South Africa
- Kenya Lionesses 24-17 Spain
Sunday, March 29
- Kenya Lionesses 46-0 China
- Kenya Lionesses 12-24 Brazil
Shujaa
Saturday, March 28
- Shujaa 38-7 Germany
- Shujaa 12-14 Belgium
- Shujaa 40-0 Canada
Sunday, March 29
- Shujaa 31-14 USA
- Shujaa 26-14 Uruguay