Kenya Shujaa and Lionesses defend crowns as nine nations descend on 30th Safari Sevens

Kenya’s national sevens sides head into the 2026 Safari Sevens at Nyayo Stadium in Nairobi as defending champions on both fronts, with clubs from nine nations arriving to challenge them across what is the tournament’s 30th anniversary edition.

First held in 1996, this weekend marks the 28th running of the Safari Sevens — two editions were lost to the absence of a 2017 event and the COVID-19 pandemic. The tournament has since re-established itself as a landmark fixture on the African sevens calendar, and carries added significance this year as Kenya’s national programmes use it as preparation for the HSBC SVNS World Championship.

On the women’s side, defending champions the Kenya Lionesses will face five opponents including Uganda, Tunisia, and South Africa’s Tuks Women, who are expected to push hard as an outside contender. Three Kenyan sides — the Lionesses, the Junior Lionesses, and development outfit Kenya Cubs — make up half the field. The Lionesses and Tunisia have already played several warm-up fixtures against each other ahead of the weekend.

“We have done everything right,” Lionesses skipper Sheila Chajira told 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.”

The men’s draw is split into three pools of four. The Shujaa, who claimed the Mauritius Sevens leg of the 2026 Africa Men’s Sevens Series last weekend, land in Pool A alongside Uganda, South Africa’s Fast Forward 7s, and Scotland Sevens. Scotland travel with a squad drawn from Edinburgh Rugby and Glasgow Warriors Academy prospects, as well as members of the Scottish Thistles side that competed at the Melrose Sevens.

Uganda will be a credible threat to Kenya’s title defence having finished as runners-up in the first leg of the 2026 Africa Men’s Sevens Series in Kampala. Secondary Kenyan side the Kenya Morans, meanwhile, compete in Pool C against Zimbabwe, South Africa’s Gel Squad 7s, and French invitational outfit Wonder 7s.

Pool B features international invitational side Shogun alongside the French Renegades, the Southern California Nomads, and New Zealand’s Wellington Jaguars, adding a global flavour to what is shaping up as the most competitive Safari Sevens in recent memory.