Fresh off their historic first international tournament victory, the Kenya Lionesses have secured the top seed for the second leg of the 2025 HSBC Challenger Series, set to take place next weekend at Athlone Stadium in Cape Town, South Africa.
The Lionesses claimed their maiden title in a thrilling 17-12 victory over Argentina in the first-leg final. As the top seed, Kenya has been placed in Pool A, where they will face Uganda and Belgium.
Seeking Revenge Against Belgium
Kenya will be looking to settle the score with Belgium, who ended their World Series playoff hopes last year with a 26-7 defeat in the Challenger Series third-place playoff in Poland.
Meanwhile, Kenya has dominated Uganda in recent meetings, including a 19-0 win in the Africa Cup 7s semi-finals in Accra, Ghana, which secured the Lionesses’ direct qualification for the Challenger Series.
Uganda will be eager to build on their recent 17-7 win over Japan in the 7th-place playoff, while Belgium finished ninth after a 19-12 victory over Hong Kong China.
Competitive Pool Lineups
The Challenger Series second leg in Cape Town promises fierce competition across all pools:
- Pool A: Kenya, Uganda, Belgium
- Pool B: Argentina, Czechia, Hong Kong China
- Pool C: South Africa, Poland, Samoa
- Pool D: Colombia, Thailand, Mexico
Road to the HSBC SVNS Play-Offs
The HSBC Sevens Challenger Series consists of back-to-back tournaments in Cape Town, followed by a final round in Krakow, Poland, on April 11-12.
The top four teams with the most cumulative points across the three rounds will advance to the HSBC SVNS Play-Offs in Los Angeles on May 3-4, where they will compete against the bottom four teams from HSBC SVNS 2025 for a spot in future SVNS tournaments.
HSBC Sevens Challenger 2025 Schedule
- Cape Town, South Africa | March 1-2
- Cape Town, South Africa | March 7-8
- Krakow, Poland | April 11-12
- Los Angeles, USA | May 3-4
The Lionesses will be aiming to maintain their winning form and continue their impressive journey toward securing a place in the HSBC SVNS Play-Offs.
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