NAIROBI, Kenya – Nairobi will host the HSBC SVNS 2 rugby tournament at Talanta Sports Stadium on January 23-24, 2027, with the event set to bring international rugby sevens action to the capital as the country prepares to welcome more major sporting competitions.
World Rugby confirmed the dates on October 13, 2026, placing Nairobi first on the three-stop HSBC SVNS 2 calendar, followed by Montevideo, Uruguay, on February 20-21 and São Paulo, Brazil, on February 27-28.
The tournament will be staged at the 60,000-seat facility also known as Raila Amolo Odinga International Stadium, which is being developed as a venue for both football and rugby. The stadium is part of the wider Talanta Sports City project at Jamhuri grounds in Nairobi.
Talanta Stadium Designed For Major Sporting Events
Talanta Stadium is intended to expand Kenya’s capacity to host international sports competitions. Beyond its main playing arena, the wider sports complex is planned to include three outdoor training grounds, an Olympic-standard swimming pool, conference facilities, fan zones, food courts, parking areas and a police station.
The main stadium includes spectator seating for general admission, VIP and VVIP guests, as well as media facilities. Parliamentary officials reported that the venue also has 52 skyboxes, an LED façade and a musical fountain.
The stadium is being overseen by the Ministry of Defence through the Kenya Defence Forces, with other government agencies providing technical support. It is also earmarked to host matches during the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), which Kenya will co-host with Uganda and Tanzania.
Construction Progress And Readiness
A parliamentary inspection report published on October 1, 2026, put overall construction progress at approximately 94 per cent, while noting that some technical, accessibility and operational issues remained unresolved.
The report said the main playing surface had been stitched and drainage works completed, while external works stood at 93 per cent. Training facilities and supporting infrastructure were at varying stages of completion. Officials were targeting full readiness by December, followed by two to three months of testing for specialist systems.
The remaining work means the stadium’s readiness for major events will depend not only on construction but also on testing, accessibility arrangements, transport and crowd management.
Nairobi Opens The 2027 HSBC SVNS 2 Series
The HSBC SVNS 2 competition is part of World Rugby’s international sevens pathway, linking regional qualification and HSBC SVNS 3 with the HSBC SVNS World Championship. Teams use the series to pursue progression towards the higher level of international competition.
World Rugby said Nairobi, Montevideo and São Paulo would return as hosts after participating in the inaugural HSBC SVNS 2 competition in 2026. The 2027 series also forms part of the wider build-up to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
The 2027 schedule is:
- January 23-24: Nairobi, Kenya — Talanta Sports Stadium
- February 20-21: Montevideo, Uruguay — Estadio Charrúa
- February 27-28: São Paulo, Brazil — Nicolau Alayon Stadium
The Nairobi tournament will provide an international test for the new stadium ahead of AFCON 2027, while giving local rugby fans an opportunity to watch top-level sevens competition on home soil. World Rugby said further competition and ticketing information would be announced in due course.
