Kenya Sevens (Shujaa) wrapped up their 2025 HSBC SVNS season on a strong note with an impressive 24-5 win over Canada in Los Angeles. However, the victory was not enough to keep them in the top tier of the global sevens circuit. Despite the triumph on May 5, 2025, Shujaa faced relegation to Division 2 under the new HSBC SVNS format. The revamped structure now includes a playoff-style Grand Final for the top eight teams, with those finishing 9th to 12th excluded from promotion contention. Anthony Mboya led the charge for Shujaa, scoring two quick tries within the opening three minutes, while Vincent Onyala added a brace to secure the victory. Canada’s only try came late in the game through James Thiel, offering little consolation to the Canadians. The Los Angeles 7s marked the conclusion of a season that saw World Rugby implement significant changes to enhance competition, bringing Olympic-style intensity to the series. Only the top eight teams from the regular season earned spots in the Grand Final playoffs and automatic core status for the 2026 season. Unfortunately, Shujaa’s relegation was sealed earlier in April during the Singapore 7s. Their failure to break into the top eight meant that their final classification matches in Los Angeles held no bearing on their promotion chances. The point gap between them and 8th-placed Britain was simply too big to overcome. Despite this, Shujaa impressed in Singapore, where they reached the final and led Fiji 7-0 at halftime before ultimately falling 21-12. The strong showing in Singapore earned Kenya 18 points, their best return since rejoining the series. However, their season total of 36 points fell short of Great Britain’s 50 points, which secured them the final spot in the top eight. Shujaa’s relegation to Division 2 was confirmed, regardless of their win over Canada in Los Angeles. The Kenya Lionesses faced a similar fate in the women’s competition, despite a hard-fought 17-14 victory over South Africa at the LA 7s. Freshia Oduor scored two tries, Sharon Auma added another, and Sinaida Nyachio’s crucial conversion made the difference. However, the Lionesses’ efforts came too late to change their destiny. They, too, were relegated to Division 2 after falling short of the points required to maintain core status in the new women’s SVNS structure. Both teams’ relegation comes as part of World Rugby’s overhaul of the series, designed to ensure long-term sustainability and global expansion, particularly in the lead-up to the LA 2028 Olympics.