RUGBY
Frank Rotich 11 days ago

2027 Nairobi leg of HSBC SVNS 2 Series set to be played at Talanta Stadium

Talanta Stadium will host Nairobi 2027 HSBC SVNS 2 series. [Talanta City Stadium]

Kenya’s Shujaa and Lionesses will have home advantage when Nairobi hosts the opening leg of the 2027 HSBC SVNS 2 series on January 23 and 24 at Talanta Sports Stadium.

World Rugby has confirmed Kenya as the first stop on the three-leg competition, which will also visit Montevideo, Uruguay, on February 20 and 21, before concluding in São Paulo, Brazil, on February 27 and 28.

The Nairobi leg will give both Kenyan teams an opportunity to make a strong start in their quest to return to the top tier of international rugby sevens.

For Shujaa, the tournament comes after an impressive run that saw them claim a record seventh Africa Men’s Sevens title in Mauritius before retaining the Safari Sevens crown on home soil.

The team will be targeting consistent performances across all three legs to strengthen its promotion hopes and move closer to a return to the elite HSBC SVNS competition.

The Lionesses will also be looking to turn home support into valuable points as they pursue promotion to the top division. Their recent Safari Sevens triumph provides further motivation ahead of the international campaign.

Hosting the opening leg at Talanta Sports Stadium will also place Kenya’s new sporting facility in the international spotlight, with the tournament expected to showcase the country’s capacity to stage major rugby events.

The competition forms part of the international sevens pathway, with teams competing for promotion to the top tier. Strong performances will be particularly important as nations work towards the qualification cycle for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.

With both Kenyan sides enjoying recent success on the continental and domestic stages, the Nairobi leg offers them an early opportunity to build momentum before the crucial trips to South America.

Kenya will be hoping to make home advantage count as Shujaa and the Lionesses begin their campaign against some of the world’s leading rugby sevens teams.