Kenya’s Under-16 boys’ rugby team is set to compete in the HSBC International Schools Sevens tournament at Richmond Park in London in March 2027.
Kenya Rugby Union (KRU) development manager Ronald Okoth said the week-long tournament will also feature top school teams from Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Scotland, South Africa and Zimbabwe.
The Kenyan squad will comprise players from both public and private schools, with public institutions accounting for 70 per cent of the team.
Among them are national Sevens champions Butula, Cardinal Otunga, Upper Hill School, Nairobi School and All Saints.
Okoth said the selection process will be highly competitive, assembling a provisional team of 35 to be trimmed to between 18 and 20 players before the team departs for London.
“We have a depth chart of the country’s leading players in that age group and picking a team with the talent on offer is an immense task. I’m confident we will select a formidable squad for the championship,” said Okoth.
The union plans to begin preparations with a training camp in December, followed by additional camps in January, February and March.
Okoth described the tournament as a valuable opportunity for the young players to gain international exposure after missing out on the Youth Olympics in Senegal.
“This is a God-sent opportunity for the team to make up for the disappointment of not playing in the Youth Olympics and to test ourselves against the top-playing nations in the world at this level,” he added.
He said the tournament would also provide a pathway for the players to progress through Kenya’s age-grade rugby structures, with the ultimate goal of representing the national senior teams.
“It gives the young boys a pathway and allows the union to start charting a course for them to play for Kenya Under-18 and Under-20 before eventually progressing to Shujaa and the Simbas in their future careers,” Okoth said.
Beyond sevens rugby, the union is also strengthening its development programme in the 15-a-side format.
Okoth revealed that players from the Under-16 pool would also have an opportunity to feature at the Grant Khomo Craven Week in South Africa in June and July 2027.
The initiatives form part of KRU’s broader age-grade development strategy, which aims to build a strong pipeline of talent capable of competing internationally and strengthening Kenya’s prospects of qualifying for the 2035 Rugby World Cup.
Through increased international exposure and structured development opportunities, the union hopes to nurture the next generation of Kenyan rugby stars.
