With just nine days to go before the 2026 National Sevens Circuit gets underway at the Prinsloo 7s in Nakuru City on July 25-26, fans and teams will be preparing for a competition that comes with significant format changes, particularly in Division Two and the women’s competition as confirmed by Kenya rugby union.
While Division One remains largely unchanged, Kenya Rugby Union has introduced a revamped structure aimed at making the lower tier and women’s competition more competitive and streamlined.
Division One Stays the Same
The top-tier competition will retain its familiar format, with 16 teams drawn into four pools of four.
After the opening day’s pool matches, the top two teams from each pool will qualify for the Cup quarter-finals. The winners will advance to the semi-finals and eventually the Cup final, while the eight teams that miss out on the Cup bracket will compete in placement playoffs to determine positions ninth through 16th.
Major Overhaul for Division Two
The biggest change this season comes in Division Two, which has been reduced from 20 teams to 16.
Instead of five pools, the competition will now mirror Division One, with four pools of four teams each. The top two sides from every pool will progress to the Cup quarter-finals before the competition continues through the semi-finals and final.
The 16-team field will comprise:
The four teams relegated from Division One after the previous leg.
The top four Division Two finishers from the previous leg, excluding the promoted team.
Nine additional teams, with priority given to regional clubs from the host region of each tournament.
The revised structure is expected to create a more balanced and competitive Division Two while offering regional teams greater opportunities to participate on the circuit.
Women’s Competition Gets Knockout Boost
The women’s category will feature eight teams competing in a single division.
The teams will be split into two pools of four for the preliminary round. Unlike previous editions, all eight teams will qualify for the quarter-finals regardless of their pool standings, with knockout seedings determined by pool performance.
The four quarter-final winners will progress to the semi-finals and eventually the Cup final.
Teams eliminated in the quarter-finals will not end their campaign there. Instead, they will contest fifth-place semi-finals, with the winners meeting in the fifth-place final. The two losing sides will be ranked seventh and eighth based on their overall points tally.
The revised format guarantees every women’s team at least one knockout match while increasing the number of meaningful fixtures throughout each leg of the circuit.
The 2026 National Sevens Circuit kicks off with the Prinsloo 7s at Nakuru Athletics Club on July 25-26 before moving on to the remaining five legs of the series.
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