Safari Sevens 9–11 October: Kenya Lionesses to defend title in six-team women's field

Kenya Lionesses, the defending women's champions, will face five other teams at the 28th Safari Sevens rugby tournament at Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi from 9 to 11 October 2026, according to the line-up confirmed by the Kenya Rugby Union (KRU).

The women's competition has six teams. Besides the Lionesses, Kenya fields Kenya Cubs and Shibli, which Eastleigh Voice describes as the junior side of the national team. Uganda Women's 7s and Tunisia 7s are the other African entries, and Costa Blanca Barbarians, the 2024 champions, are the other international side.

A bigger men's field around the women's event

The women's event sits inside an 18-team tournament: 12 men's teams and six women's teams. The men's field includes the defending champions Kenya Shujaa and Kenya Morans, alongside Uganda, Zimbabwe, Scotland 7s, Shogun of the United Kingdom and Southern California Nomads of the United States; Eastleigh Voice also counts three South African and two French sides. Wailers, Zambia 7s and KCB Rugby are on standby.

In a statement quoted by Eastleigh Voice, the KRU said: "From the familiar East African rivalry to returning champions, international visitors and new faces, fans can expect three days of plenty of entertainment both on and off the pitch."

What the players say

The Standard reported that Lionesses player Judith Auma gave an assurance that the team would defend its women's title. The paper gave more detail on the men's side, quoting Shujaa captain Samuel Asati: "No one will leave with the trophy. We will go home with it, again this year."

According to The Standard, Asati feels that Kenya Morans, who finished third last season, might have an upper hand because a chunk of the squad has been called up to the national team playing at the Africa Men's Sevens in Mauritius on 3–4 October.

Crowds and sponsorship

KRU vice-chairman Moses Ndale told The Star: "We are expecting a full house for the three days." The Star's report of 23 September said 6,000 tickets had already been sold. The Standard reported that Kenya Breweries Limited is sponsoring the event with KSh 14 million.