mens
Sevens
The Rugby Americas North (RAN) Sevens regional tournament is set to return to the Caribbean in 2026, and today will be a month until the tournament returns to Trinidad and Tobago for a third consecutive season.
The 2026 tournament, played in the municipalities of Arima and the capital Port of Spain, is slated for a change of venue after the last two iterations were played at the Larry Gomes Stadium.
This year, more than ten nations will gather at the country’s largest stadium, the 23,000-capacity Hasely Crawford Stadium, formerly the National Stadium, for two days of non-stop rugby action from 27-28 November 2026.
It was named after the first person from Trinidad and Tobago to win an Olympic gold medal, the venue should be a significant upgrade for the RAN Sevens.
The tournament will feature action in Men’s Tier 1, Men’s Tier 2 and Women’s divisions, with previous iterations being hotly contested.
The 2025 iteration of the tournament saw similar events Canada and Mexico win the men’s and women’s competitions, both sides will qualify for the inaugural SVNS 3 tournament in Dubai in January 2026.
Both sides are set to represent the region at a higher level again this year, heading to Dubai for the second season of SVNS 3 in November as part of the major Dubai Sevens event – which takes place on the same weekend as the RAN Sevens 2026.
The result will potentially open the door to a new winner in both tournaments, with Caribbean sides Barbados, Bermuda and hosts Trinidad and Tobago who advanced to the semi-finals of the 2025 men’s tournament.
Jamaica and Mexico are likely to be strong contenders in the men’s tournament, with Jamaica the last Caribbean team to win the tournament in 2023, years since the United States and Canada dominated.
The women’s tournament titles have been similarly shared between Mexico and Canada over the last decade, but with both sides ready for SVNS action, the door is open for Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica’s women’s sides to end that streak, with both showing encouraging form in previous seasons.
The Rugby Americas North (RAN) Sevens regional tournament is set to return to the Caribbean in 2026.
“Moving to Hasely Crawford Stadium, the tournament (will be) the core of rugby within Trinidad and Tobago,” Kanisha Vincent, president of the Trinidad and Tobago Rugby Union, told Rugby Americas North.
“There is always something incredibly special about playing in the national stadium, the atmosphere and energy is absolutely unmatched.”
The tournament format, participating countries and schedule will be confirmed in the coming weeks.
