Kenya's under-16 boys' rugby team will compete against leading school sides from Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, South Africa and beyond at the HSBC International Schools Sevens in London in March 2027, the Kenya Rugby Union (KRU) has said.

KRU development manager Ronald Okoth told The Star on Tuesday, 27 October, that the week-long tournament, staged in the Richmond Park area of south-west London, will also feature schools from Scotland and Zimbabwe.

Public schools at the heart of the squad

The team will be drawn from both public and private schools, with public institutions expected to make up about 70 per cent of the squad. Okoth named national sevens champions Butula, Cardinal Otunga, Upper Hill School, Nairobi School and All Saints among the schools whose players are in the frame.

A provisional squad of 35 players will be trimmed to between 18 and 20 before the team travels. "We have a depth chart of the country's leading players in that age group," Okoth said, according to The Star.

Preparations will begin with a training camp in December, followed by further camps in January, February and March ahead of departure.

Making up for Dakar

Okoth described the London tournament as a chance for the age group to recover from missing out on the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal, which open at the end of this month.

"This is a God-sent opportunity for the team to make up for the disappointment of not playing in the Youth Olympics," he said.

The international schools sevens is regarded as one of the most prestigious youth sevens competitions, giving young players exposure to different playing styles and higher levels of competition than they meet at home.

A pathway to Shujaa and the Simbas

KRU says the tournament is part of a wider age-grade strategy designed to move players up through the Kenya U-18 and U-20 teams and eventually into the senior sevens side, Shujaa, and the 15-a-side Simbas.

The union also plans to give U-16 players 15-a-side exposure at the Grant Khomo Craven Week in South Africa in June and July 2027, a showcase event in South African schools rugby that attracts scouts and coaches from across the region.

The long-term aim, according to Okoth, is to build a pool of talent that can strengthen Kenya's bid to qualify for the 2035 Rugby World Cup. Kenya has never played at the 15-a-side World Cup, and the union has made youth development a priority as it seeks to end that wait.

The announcement comes at a busy time for Kenyan rugby. Shujaa retained the Safari Sevens title earlier this month with a 24-5 win over the Kenya Morans in an all-Kenyan final, while clubs are preparing for the new Kenya Cup season, with the Impala Floodlights tournament serving as a warm-up.

Photo: The Star