The 2026 SportPesa National 7s Circuit brought the curtain down on a thrilling season on Sunday, September 13, with the Christie 7s providing a fitting finale at the RFUEA Grounds along Ngong’ Road.
Menengai Oilers walked away with the Christie 7s men’s title after overcoming Strathmore Leos 24-12 in the final, while Mwamba Ladies edged Kenya Harlequin Queens 12-5 to lift the women’s trophy.
Zetech Oaks completed the Division One competition on a high, beating Stallions Rugby 28-10 in the final.
Away from the final-leg celebrations, KCB Rugby retained the overall men’s circuit title, finishing ahead of Kabras Sugar, while Mwamba Ladies were crowned the overall women’s champions.
As the dust settles on a competitive six-leg campaign, here are 10 major talking points from the 2026 SportPesa National 7s Circuit.
2026 SportPesa 7s circuit
1.KCB Rugby continued their dominance
KCB Rugby once again showed why they remain one of the most consistent sides in Kenyan sevens rugby after successfully defending their SportPesa National 7s Circuit title.
The bankers finished the season with 115 points, collecting three leg victories at the Prinsloo 7s, Kabeberi 7s and Embu 7s.
Although their 2026 tally was 11 points lower than the 126 they accumulated during their 2025 title-winning campaign, KCB still did enough to finish top of the standings.
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The star-studded squad, which featured several Kenya 7s internationals, played a major role in their success. Nygel Amaitsa and Festus Shiasi were among the players who consistently contributed points for the bankers across the circuit.
The latest triumph also took KCB’s tally to six overall circuit titles, having previously won in 2013, 2014, 2019, 2023 and 2025.
2.Kabras Sugar’s youngsters announced themselves
Kabras Sugar produced one of the biggest turnarounds of the 2026 circuit.
After finishing fourth in 2025 with 83 points, the Kakamega-based side climbed to second this season with 107 points and won two legs ; the Dala 7s and Driftwood 7s.
Much of their success was driven by a new generation of players, with Rayvon Ambale, Michael Lukusi, Jackson Siketa and Roy Maruti all making significant contributions.
Ambale, in particular, enjoyed a remarkable campaign. He topped the points charts at the Prinsloo 7s, collecting 53 points, 28 more than second-placed Glacious Owino of Menengai Oilers.
He also featured among the leading scorers at Dala, Driftwood and Embu, while making several Dream Team appearances throughout the season.
Despite missing eight of Kabras’ 36 matches, Ambale finished as the overall leading points scorer in the circuit.
His performances, together with those of Lukusi and Siketa, offered Kabras plenty of encouragement for the future.
3.Harrison Mauve emerged as a prolific try scorer
While Ambale finished as the leading points scorer, Kisumu RFC winger Harrison Mauve ended the campaign as the circuit’s top try scorer.
Mauve was remarkably consistent throughout the season.
He scored four tries at Dala, four at Kabeberi, five at Driftwood and a remarkable 10 at Embu, where he finished as the leading try scorer.
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He then added nine tries at Christie to complete an outstanding campaign.
His consistency earned him the overall top try-scoring accolade and also helped put him in contention for higher honours, with the winger earning a place in the provisional Kenya 7s squad for the upcoming Safari 7s.
4.Catherine Elizabeth was a standout for Kenya Harlequin Queens
Kenya Harlequin Queens also had a prolific finisher in Catherine Elizabeth, who enjoyed one of the most productive campaigns in the women’s competition.
The youngster finished the circuit with an impressive try-scoring record, including 17 tries at the Christie 7s, where she finished as the tournament’s leading try scorer.
She also crossed the whitewash six times at Embu and scored 13 tries at Kabeberi, where she tied with Mwamba Ladies’ Irene Opiyo for the top mark.
At Dala, Elizabeth added three tries, narrowly missing out on the tournament’s top try-scoring honour.
Having only completed school last year, her performances against experienced opposition stood out and underlined her potential as one of the players to watch in the women’s game.
5.NYS Spades proved they are a team to watch
NYS Spades were among the surprise packages of the 2026 circuit.
Making their debut at the Prinsloo 7s, the side immediately showed that they could compete with more established opponents.
They pushed KCB before losing 14-0 in the pool stages before progressing to the Challenger Cup quarter-finals, where they were beaten 12-5 by Menengai Oilers.
Their development continued at Driftwood.
After winning the Division Two title at Kabeberi following relegation at Dala, NYS Spades returned to Division One and produced an impressive run.
They went unbeaten in the Driftwood pool stages, drawing 5-5 with Mwamba RFC, beating Strathmore Leos 15-12 and edging MMUST 7-5 to top their pool and reach the Main Cup quarter-finals.
Their run eventually ended with a 17-5 defeat to Daystar Falcons.
They finished 10th at Embu and eighth at Christie, ending the season 11th overall with 29 points.
For a side making its first appearance in the circuit, their upward trajectory was one of the stories of the season.
6.Kiambaa Ladies made a remarkable debut
Kiambaa Ladies were another revelation, particularly because much of their squad was made up of players from Kinale Girls Secondary School.
The teenagers announced themselves at the Prinsloo 7s, winning two pool matches before losing to Kenya Harlequin Queens. They would later get their revenge by eliminating the Queens in the semi-finals before falling 19-0 to Mwamba Ladies in the final.
They followed that with a third-place finish at Dala.
After missing Kabeberi because of school commitments, Kiambaa returned at Embu and reached the final, eventually losing to Kenya Harlequin Queens.
They finished third at Christie and ended their debut campaign fourth overall.
Their performances were particularly notable because they competed against established clubs featuring experienced players and national-team talent.
7.Mwamba Ladies maintained their grip on the women’s circuit
Mwamba Ladies were once again the team to beat in the women’s competition.
They opened their campaign by winning the Prinsloo 7s without losing a match and followed that with another unbeaten run at the inaugural Dala 7s women’s competition.
The Nairobi-based side then completed another unbeaten campaign at Kabeberi before suffering their first major setback at Embu.
They lost to Kenya Harlequin Queens in the semi-finals and had to settle for third place.
However, Mwamba responded in the best possible fashion at Christie, edging the Queens 12-5 in the final to reclaim the title.
That result also secured them the overall SportPesa National 7s Circuit crown.
8.Daystar Falcons recorded their best circuit finish
Daystar Falcons enjoyed their strongest campaign yet, ending the season fourth overall with 80 points.
The university side had finished 11th in 2024 before improving to fifth in 2025 with 67 points.
Their continued progress was evident throughout this season as they reached the Main Cup quarter-finals in all six legs and recorded back-to-back semi-final appearances.
Coached by Caleb Bosire, the Falcons have steadily established themselves among the competitive sides on the circuit.
At Christie, Clinton Amukwachi was particularly influential, finishing as the tournament’s leading points and try scorer, while Kenya 7s speedster Patrick Odongo also played an important role in their run.
The fourth-place finish represents another significant step forward for the university side.
9.The circuit became more data-driven
One of the notable developments in the 2026 SportPesa National 7s circuit was the availability of comprehensive tournament data online through sportpesa7s.ke.
The platform, developed through the partnership between circuit title sponsor SportPesa and Tisini Tech, gave clubs, players, media and fans access to detailed statistics from the various legs.
Users could follow team and player performances, including tries scored, successful and missed conversions, carries, penalties conceded, offsides and holding-on infringements.
The availability of this information added another layer to the competition and made it easier to follow individual and team performances throughout the season.
10.The circuit extended beyond the competition
The 2026 campaign also showed how the SportPesa National 7s Circuit can provide a platform for issues beyond the rugby pitch.
Kenya Harlequin Queens used the Embu and Christie 7s to create awareness about endometriosis, wearing yellow ribbons as part of their campaign.
Endometriosis is a chronic condition in which tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside the uterus. The condition can cause significant pain and remains widely misunderstood.
Kisumu RFC captain Vince Ogolla also carried the same message at Christie, joining the conversation through his own yellow-ribbon campaign.
The circuit also attracted international participation. Uganda 7s used the Driftwood 7s as part of their preparations for their continental assignments, while South African invitational side Club Afrique featured at the Christie 7s.
With the final whistle at RFUEA bringing the 2026 season to an end, the circuit leaves behind a season of established champions, emerging youngsters, surprise packages and strong performances across both the men’s and women’s competitions.
From KCB’s continued dominance to Kabras’ youthful resurgence, Mauve’s try-scoring exploits, Kiambaa Ladies’ breakthrough ,the rise of NYS Spades and Kenya Harlequins Queens using the Circuit to create awareness on Endometriosis , the season provided plenty for Kenyan rugby fans and all sports enthusiasts to discuss and several names to keep an eye on heading into the next campaign.