Kenya Sevens 2025-26 World Circuit Season Review: Progress and Challenges

Kenya's national sevens rugby team, Shujaa, have had a season of mixed fortunes on the SVNS World Rugby Sevens Series circuit. While there were moments of brilliance that reminded fans why Kenya remains a force in world sevens, inconsistency continued to be the team's biggest challenge.

The emergence of several young players has been the most encouraging aspect of the campaign. New faces in the squad brought energy and fearlessness that produced upset victories against higher-ranked teams in Dubai and Cape Town, giving hope for the future direction of the program.

Fitness and depth remain areas of concern. Kenya's tendency to start tournaments strongly before fading in the knockout rounds suggests that squad rotation and physical conditioning programs need further investment. The Kenya Rugby Union has acknowledged these issues and committed to increased funding for the sevens program.

With the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics on the horizon, Shujaa's trajectory over the next two seasons will be critical. The team needs to maintain its core status on the SVNS circuit while developing enough depth to compete sustainably across all tournament legs throughout the season.