Kenya’s men’s and women’s rugby sevens teams are heading into the final pool match of the HSBC SVNS Los Angeles tournament with their backs to the wall — and their hopes for the 2025/2026 season on the global stage hanging by a thread due to a revamped World Rugby format.

Both Shujaa and the Lionesses entered their opening matches aiming to advance into the top tier of the modified World Rugby Sevens Series.

However, their performances on the first day at Dignity Health Sports Park have left them with everything to prove.

After suffering a 12–19 loss to Samoa, Shujaa on Sunday, May 4, 2025, bounced back with a 26–14 victory over Portugal, keeping their playoff hopes alive.

The Lionesses, on the other hand, find themselves in a tighter spot after falling 10–28 to Brazil in their second match, following an earlier defeat to Spain.

Their struggles are particularly concerning as World Rugby is implementing a major overhaul of the series, which shrinks the elite pool of teams and raises the stakes for qualification.

New SVNS structure

According to a statement by World Rugby issued on May 1, 2025, the restructuring aims to create a more competitive, sustainable series leading up to the LA 2028 Olympics.

Starting next season, the sevens circuit will adopt a three-tier model: only the top eight teams from LA will qualify for the elite Division 1.

Teams ranked 9th to 12th will drop to Division 2, while those finishing 13th to 16th will exit the global circuit and be forced to requalify through their continental regions.

From 2026, the circuit will expand to 13 events, and World Rugby insists that the new three-tier system offers a clear pathway from regional qualifiers to global contention — a structure designed with the Olympics in mind.

“This evolved model provides greater certainty for unions with more events, increased competitiveness, greater pathway opportunities than ever before and most crucially, a financially sustainable event ecosystem,” World Rugby Sevens General Manager Sam Pinder stated in the statement.

New format. Same unmissable action 🔥#HSBCSVNS pic.twitter.com/H5mHvqI8aY

— HSBC SVNS (@SVNSSeries) May 1, 2025

Bleak future

Shujaa finished ninth overall in the 2024 regular season standings, just one place shy of automatic qualification, meaning they entered LA needing a strong playoff run.

Sunday’s opening win over Portugal was a crucial response after the narrow loss to Samoa, and it now sets up a decisive Sunday night showdown that could determine their top-flight future.

For the Lionesses, despite being the top team in the Challenger Series this year with 56 points, promotion is not guaranteed.

Their losses to Spain and Brazil leave them at risk of missing out on a historic first appearance in the SVNS Championship Series.

Despite early scores from Sheila Chajira against Brazil and Freshia Oduor’s double against Spain, the team has struggled to maintain momentum throughout their matches.

Reacting to the revamped structure, Shujaa head coach Louis Kisia expressed disappointment, terming it an unfortunate move.  

“It hurt me, it broke me, and it is very unfortunate. Tough on us, but tougher for the boys. I got the circular from the head coach on Tuesday but didn’t go through it properly until Wednesday morning. That’s when I saw the boys’ mood had changed – they were really down. It hit me, Andrew (Amonde), and Bling. I went back to the circular, read it properly, and my mood just sank,” Kisia stated as quoted by a local media publication.

“It will take some time for it to sink in, but that is the reality. We’ll go back to the drawing board and prepare for the next season. We don’t know how it will turn out, but we hope for the best,” he added.

Format sparks outrage

The restructuring, which World Rugby claims will increase competitiveness, financial sustainability, and provide clearer pathways to the Olympics, has sparked backlash from fans and stakeholders, especially from smaller nations.

A petition launched by Two5Four Rugby accuses World Rugby of “destroying the soul of sevens” and turning the once-open series into an exclusive club.

“Rugby sevens was once a sport where dreams were valid — where underdogs could rise, surprises were plenty, and a team from anywhere in the world could challenge giants,” the petition reads.

“Quietly and without transparency, World Rugby is planning to reduce the teams further down to just eight. Eight teams. That’s not a World Series. That’s an exclusive club,” it adds.

The petition also questions the timing of the announcement, just days before the LA Sevens, and criticises what it calls a predetermined playoff that lacks transparency.

“What is the point of a playoff if the structure of next season is already predetermined? This is not just unfair — it’s deceptive. Imagine playing a match where the rules are changed after the final whistle. That is what World Rugby is asking us to accept,” it argues.

“If this new eight-team format is enforced, it won’t just harm countries like second and third-tier nations — it will kill the essence of sevens itself. And once that spark is gone, the ripple effects will be felt everywhere, even among the so-called elite. The world is watching. And we refuse to be silenced,” the petition concludes.