Kenya and other teams in the newly restructured second World Rugby Sevens World Series will soon know the venues for the competition after World Rugby announced the dates and venues for the 2025/2026 Sevens Series.

Following an unpopular and controversial decision by World Rugby to reduce the number of teams in the top tier competition from 12 to eight in May in Los Angeles. The governing body explained that teams that did not finish among the top eight in each category would be relegated to the second tier competition, the Challenger Series featuring  six teams playing in three tournaments in January and February.

Second tier teams have been reluctant to step up and host any of the Challenger Series because of the financial implications. Previous hosts have been left with spiraling costs although a highly placed World Rugby official hinted that some of the disgruntled teams may be appeased by being offered a chance to host one leg of the tournament. 

Unpopular Decision

Kenya and the USA who were vocal about the unpopular decision had been mentioned in passing as potential hosts. In the past, Kenya had applied to host a World Sevens Series tournament but backed off.

The top tier competition will be played in six venues which has seen Dubai, Singapore, Vancouver and Hong Kong retained from the original venues that previously hosted the Series in the 12-team format. Two other venues have been slated for Australia and the USA. 

Also two venues have been named for the Sevens World Championship, a separate competition that replaced the Rugby World Cup Sevens. South Africa’s men’s team and New Zealand’s women teams are the current world champions after winning in LA in May, 2025.

Expand Rugby

Although World Rugby explained that the top tier of a new three-division global sevens model has been designed to expand rugby’s reach and deliver long-term stability for teams and hosts, various team officials and Rugby Unions held a different opinion. For now, the venues shall host the tournaments for the next three years culminating into the 2028 Olympics in LA. 

The new format features six regular-season rounds paving way for a three-event Sevens World Championship, which will divide the line-up for the 2027 top tier. In the opinion of World Rugby, the structure provides a clear pathway for emerging nations, with the regional qualifiers able to reach the world stage within a single season. Additionally, the new format is touted as strengthening visibility and impact ahead of LA 2028.

World Rugby Sevens World Series Teams

Women: Australia, Canada, Fiji, France, Great Britain, Japan, New Zealand, USA.

Men: Argentina, Australia, Fiji, France, Great Britain, New Zealand, South Africa, Spain.

 World Rugby Sevens World Series 2025/2026

Dubai: November 29-30, 2025.

Cape Town: December 6-7, 2027

Singapore: January 31, February 1, 2026.

Australia: February 7-8, 2026.

Vancouver: March 7-8. 2026.

USA: March 14-15, 2026.

Hong Kong: April 17-19, 2026.

Sevens World Championship

Valladolid: May 29-31, 2026.

Bordeaux: June 5-7, 2026.Division two: February – March 2026.