In February 2026, after the huge success of SVNS 2 in Nairobi which saw over 15,000 fans pass through the gates at the Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi, Herbert Mensah, President of Rugby Africa, made a bold claim.
“What do you expect? HSBC on African soil with incredible Kenyans,” Mensah told Rugby Afrique.
“This is what happens when you combine world-class rugby with passionate fans.
“Kenya has proven that it can host the world. The organization, the energy in the stadium, the government support, this is the blueprint for Africa. When Africa hosts, Africa delivers. Africa is not the future of rugby, Africa is the present.
“When 15,000 people come to celebrate this sport, when government leaders stand behind it, when young men and women are seen on that stage, you are building something much bigger than a tournament.
“You build trust.”
Fast forward to last weekend at the 2026 Youth Olympics in Dakar, and it’s becoming clear that Mensah’s grand proclamations not only have weight behind them, they also have signs of completely reshaping the game of the week.
Six nations were on the podium in the men’s and women’s competitions Senegal the capital with France, Australia and Argentina – sides that have traditionally advanced in the three previous iterations of this tournament – are among the sides represented.
But the remaining three teams were all Youth Olympic first-timers, and all were teams from the African continent: the South African men’s side, the Kenyan women’s side and the Madagascar women’s side.
The women’s results were of particular note, with Kenya beating Australia in golden time 17-12, while Madagascar’s bronze was the nation’s first Olympic medal at any level.
All these players have come through local and regional tournaments in Africa – and the results in Dakar suggest that these tournaments can not only provide a strong high-performance environment, but over time put these players in a position to go to the next stage.
Kenya has been one of the main areas of growth in this regard, with the 2026 National Sevens Circuit seeing dramatically increased funding, multiple splits of men’s tournaments, increased playing time for women’s tournaments and more.
Neighbors Uganda have also been on the move, having their own round of sevens as well as sending representative teams to the Kenyan tournament.
One of the most sleepy rugby nations in the world is Madagascar, and rugby is the country’s most popular sport – especially among women, making the bronze medal in Dakar a significant result after the men’s sevens qualified for SVNS 3 in 2025.
South Africa unsurprisingly still the top dog on the African continent as the reigning SVNS men’s champions, however, the rainbow nation has seen colossal growth in its women’s program as a whole, with the Blazeboks going from regional qualifiers to the SVNS World Championship in just one year.
However, South Africa, at least on the sevens front, could be challenged sooner rather than later, with Kenya knocking them out in the semi-finals of this year’s Mauritius edition of the African Rugby Sevens, before eventually beating Madagascar 15-12 in the final.
Africa’s governing body had to split the Rugby Africa Sevens qualifier into two matches in June this year due to an Ebola outbreak restricting travel to the region, with the second SVNS 3 qualifier taking place in Kampala, Uganda.
It should be noted that the tournament was won by another rising rugby nation, Zimbabwe, who beat hosts Uganda 26-19 to qualify for the SVNS event for the first time in almost 15 years, and were due to head to Dubai at the end of the month for SVNS 3.
That’s even before we get to the likes of other developing countries below these sides, with Tunisia, Morocco, Zambia, Burkina Faso and Mauritius among several nations that all had promising results in their men’s and women’s programs in 2026.
While the results of the regional tournaments are significant, the Dakar suggests that these avenues can produce talent that can compete on the global stage – and it seems clear that the forces behind World Rugby have gained momentum on the African continent.
The current starting point for this interest outside of South Africa appears to be Kenya, with Shujaa backing up her form for SVNS 2 and SVNS World Cup 2026 by defending her Safari Sevens 2026 title, the Lionesses also completing Kenya’s clean sweep of the women’s tournament.
The Kenya Rugby Union has set itself the clear goal of qualifying for the men’s and women’s SVNS series, and success for the women in Dakar is a particularly valuable result that points to the depth of quality and more success to come.
SVNS 2 is set to return to Nairobi next year, having received a major upgrade at the recently opened 60,000-seater Talanta Sports Stadium, the largest stadium in the country.
Kenya is highly likely to compete in both tournaments again in SVNS 2 and could join them Zimbabwe should their men’s week, the Cheetahs, make the finals in Dubai.
If the number of African sevens continues to grow in the lower divisions of the SVNS, it will inevitably break into the SVNS series, while fueling the promising growth of other rugby nations in the region.
It is important to recognize that these regional programs still need time to mature, and in the competitive world of international rugby sevens, complacency is never heralded.
However, the momentum in rugby appears to be with several developing African nations, and sevens looks set to be the first place for these nations to make a big splash, as evidenced by the potential for sevens to transform rugby’s stronghold on the continent.
If these sides are set to be a big part of the future of sevens international rugby, turn it on.
