What You Need To Know About HSBC SVNS 2 In Nairobi

NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 4 – With less than a fortnight to the historic HSBC SVNS 2 at Nairobi’s Nyayo National Stadium on February 14-15, here is what you need to know about the event.

Why is it referred to as HSBC SVNS?

SVNS, pronounced “sevens,” is the rebranded name for the premier World Rugby Sevens Series, an annual, elite-level international rugby competition featuring both men’s and women’s teams.

It was introduced in 2023 to supercharge rugby’s global appeal with a shorter, festival-style format featuring eight cities, and later expanded to enhance the fan experience.

However, on May 1st, 2025, World Rugby officially announced the changes within the HSBC SVNS Circuit as curtains fell on the 2025 season in Los Angeles, California.

World Rugby confirmed that the sevens competition will embrace a new model at the start of the 2026 season. The new format introduces a three-division structure in 2026: HSBC SVNS Division 1, which is the top-tier, HSBC SVNS Division 2- second tier, and Division 3 – third tier.

How does the new format work?

Division 1 – Eight men’s and eight women’s teams compete in six high-impact SVNS Series events.

Division 2 – Six teams per gender compete in a second division across three events.

Division 3 – A standalone Challenger event with eight teams per gender, qualifying from regional competitions.

Season finale to determine world champion: Three blockbuster SVNS World Championship Series events with the top 12 men’s and women’s teams (eight from Division 1, four from Division 2)

Inaugural event

Division 2 will feature six teams comprising Kenya, USA, Belgium, Canada, Uruguay, and Germany for the men, Kenya Lionesses, Brazil, China, Spain, Argentina, and South Africa, competing in three legs across the global cities of Nairobi (Kenya), Montevideo (Uruguay), and São Paulo (Brazil)

The tournament will be played in a round robin format, where the top team will amass the most available points in the standings.

At the end of the three legs, the top four teams will be promoted to the top-tier Division 1.

Nairobi HSBC SVN 2 Notebook

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