Today, May 1st 2025, World Rugby has officially announced the changes within the HSBC SVNS Circuit as curtains fall on the 2025 season in Los Angeles California.
In a communication published a few minutes ago, World Rugby has confirmed that the sevens competition will embrace a new model at the start of the 2026 season later this year. The new structure introduces a three-division in 2026.
“The eight teams competing in the HSBC SVNS World Championship 2025 in Los Angeles (3-4 May) will form the HSBC SVNS Division 1 teams for the 2026 Series. The teams that finish with final rankings of 9th-12th from the LA Playoff Tournament will qualify for SVNS 2 – in the 2025/26 season. Teams that finish with final rankings of 13th-16th will start their 2025/26 Sevens Season journey through their respective sevens regional qualifier competitions Sevens,” said World Rugby.
This means that even as both Kenya Shujaa and Kenya Lionesses kick off their LA 7s campaign, they will miss out on the chance of being a core team come 2026 as both teams will be battling it out in the playoff level of the HSBC SVNS LA7s. However, both teams need to finish in the top four places of the playoff in order to secure their slots in the 2026 HSBC SVNS Division 2 level.
Key features of the new HSBC SVNS model:
· Three-division regular season:
- 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)
· Integrated tournaments with equal participation fees and representation for men’s and women’s teams
· Defined progression pathway: Teams can advance from regional qualifiers to global championship contention in a single season
· Expanded calendar: 13 tournaments across the HSBC SVNS 2026 season, delivering more opportunity and exposure
