KRU in ambitious bid to host HSBC Sevens

Kenya Rugby Union chairman Sasha Mutai has intimated the union’s target of lobbying to host a leg of the prestigious HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series in the years to come.

The rugby supremo who has overseen the return of Kenya Sevens rugby team, Shujaa, to the World Series says their immediate concern is helping the team cement their status in the league as they eye the ultimate goal of hosting a leg of the series   

“We also want to host the HSBC sevens. We talked to the head of the sevens program in World Rugby last year when we were in Spain with former sports minister Ababu Namwamba, so we started talks about that.”

Mutai opines that it's also imperative that the union return the stature of the esteemed Safari 7s to global stardom, as that will be a good launching pad for hosting a leg of the world series.

“We have to build Safari 7s back to what it was. This year, the tournament will run from 10-12 October 2025; we have invited some big teams, and we are just waiting for confirmation in the next few weeks.

“We want to grow it back to what it was and exceed that so that we can be serious contenders.

“In 2023, we successfully hosted the World U20 trophy, so World Rugby are happy with us.”

Kenya commands a cult following in the HSBC Sevens series, and the recent move by organizers of the Perth 7s tournament to allocate Kenyan fans a specific stand cemented Kenya’s importance in the world league.