Kenya Lionesses have been drawn in a tough Pool A alongside Brazil, Colombia, and Spain for the upcoming HSBC World Rugby Sevens promotion-relegation playoffs in Los Angeles.

The high-stakes tournament scheduled for May 3 to May 5, 2025, will determine which teams secure a place in the 2025–26 SVNS series, and for the Lionesses, a top-four finish would mark their historic promotion to the top flight of women’s rugby sevens.

The LA 7s playoff will feature eight teams — four from the Challenger Series (Kenya, Argentina, Colombia, and South Africa) and four from the bottom of the SVNS standings (Brazil, China, Ireland, and Spain).

Momentum from Krakow

The Lionesses head to Los Angeles buoyed by a strong showing at the Krakow Sevens, where they finished third in the final leg of the 2025 Challenger Series.

The Lionesses bounced back from a semifinal loss to South Africa with a 27-19 victory over Thailand, thanks to a hat-trick from Freshia Oduor and a brace from Stella Wafula.

Under the guidance of head coach Dennis Mwanja, the team showed remarkable composure and fighting spirit, overturning an early 12-0 deficit to close their campaign on a high.

Dominating the Challenger Series

The Krakow performance capped a dominant run for the Lionesses, who now top the overall 2025 Challenger Series standings with 56 points.

South Africa trails closely in second place with 54 points, while Argentina sits third with 48.

Colombia, Kenya’s Pool A opponent in Los Angeles, ranks fourth with 40 points.

Thailand rounds out the top five with 36 points, followed by Czechia (30), Poland (22), Belgium (20), Uganda (14), and Hong Kong China (6).

Samoa and Mexico, with four and two points respectively, complete the 12-team table.