Kenya Lionesses learn opponents ahead of second leg of Challenger Series
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Reading Time: 3min | Tue. 04.03.25. | 10:42
The four men’s and women’s teams with the most cumulative points across all three Challenger rounds will secure a spot in the HSBC SVNS Play-Offs
The Kenya Lionesses, fresh from making history with their first-ever international tournament victory, have been seeded top for the second leg of the 2025 HSBC Challenger Series.
The tournament will take place next weekend at Athlone Stadium in Cape Town, South Africa.
The Lionesses emphatically clinched their maiden title, defeating Argentina 17-12 in a thrilling final to win the first leg of the series.
Now, they find themselves in Pool A alongside familiar opponents, Uganda and Belgium.
Both teams in their pool have a history with Kenya. In last year's Challenger Series, the Belgians dealt the Lionesses a painful blow, crushing Kenya’s World Series playoff hopes with a 26-7 victory in the third-place playoff in Poland. The Lionesses will be eager to avenge that loss and solidify their dominance.
On the other hand, Kenya has a superior record over Uganda, their East African counterpart. In the most recent encounter, the Lionesses dismantled Uganda 19-0 in the semi-finals of the Africa Cup 7s in Accra, Ghana, securing Kenya’s direct qualification to the Challenger Series.
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Uganda will be looking to build on their momentum after finishing last weekend’s tournament with a 17-7 victory over Japan in the 7th-place playoff. Meanwhile, Belgium ended their campaign in ninth place after edging out Hong Kong China 19-12.
The other pools feature formidable competition. Pool B consists of Argentina, Czechia, and Hong Kong China, while Pool C comprises South Africa, Poland, and Samoa. The final pool includes Colombia, Thailand, and Mexico.
On the men’s side, Chile is seeded top alongside Japan and Hong Kong China in Pool A. Canada, Uganda, and Tonga make up Pool B, while Pool C includes Germany, Madagascar, and Georgia. Samoa, Portugal, and Brazil round out the men’s pools.
The Challenger Series will feature back-to-back events in Cape Town, with the top eight men’s and women’s teams advancing to the final tournament at Henryk Reyman’s Municipal Stadium in Krakow, Poland, on Friday 11 to Saturday 12 April.
The four men’s and women’s teams with the most cumulative points across all three Challenger rounds will secure a spot in the HSBC SVNS Play-Offs in Los Angeles on Saturday, 3 to Sunday, 4 May.
There, they will compete against the bottom four ranked teams from the HSBC SVNS 2025 in a high-stakes promotion and relegation tournament, where four coveted spots in future SVNS events will be up for grabs.
World Rugby HSBC Sevens Challenger 2025 dates:
Cape Town, South Africa | 1-2 March
Cape Town, South Africa | 7-8 March
Krakow, Poland | 11-12 April
Los Angeles, USA | 3-4 May
World Rugby HSBC Sevens Challenger 2025 dates:
Men’s Pools
Pool A: Chile, Japan, Hong Kong, China
Pool B: Canada, Uganda, Tonga
Pool C: Germany, Madagascar, Georgia
Pool D: Samoa, Portugal, Brazil
Women’s Pools
Pool A: Kenya Lionesses, Uganda, Belgium
Pool B: Argentina, Czechia, Hong Kong China,
Pool C: South Africa, Poland, Samoa
Pool D: Colombia, Thailand, Mexico
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