The pools for the World 7s Series promotion and relegation playoffs have been officially confirmed ahead of the tournament set to take place on May 3–4 at Dignity Health Sports Park in Los Angeles.
Kenya 7s headline Pool A after finishing ninth in the regular season, missing out on direct qualification behind Great Britain.
Pool A
They are set to face hosts USA, Portugal, and Samoa in a competitive group stage.
Pool B brings together Uruguay, Ireland, Canada, and Germany, with each team battling to secure a top-four finish.
This will be the third time that Kenya, Uruguay, and Canada feature in the promotion playoffs since the format was introduced in 2023.
While World Rugby is yet to confirm the exact format for this year’s edition, last season’s playoffs followed a round-robin group stage, which determined the rankings for a set of cross-pool qualifiers. These qualifiers ultimately decided which teams would join the core group for the next season. In 2024, the top-ranked team from each pool faced the fourth-ranked team from the opposite pool, while second and third-placed teams squared off accordingly.
A top-four finish remains crucial this year, even amid reports that the number of core teams in the World Sevens Series is set to drop from 12 to 8 next season.
According to El Observador, this decision has been driven by financial constraints, with World Rugby acknowledging that the series has struggled to stay financially sustainable since the COVID-19 pandemic. The move follows a previous reduction from 16 teams just two seasons ago.
Initial reports of the restructure surfaced through Spanish publication El Periodico, and the new format has reportedly been shared with unions and players.
Under the updated structure, the four teams that finish in the top four in Los Angeles will qualify for three second-tier tournaments next season.
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They will also have the opportunity to feature in three additional events alongside the top-tier teams later in the campaign.
These four teams will receive the same £300,000 financial package currently allocated to core teams, though this funding is only guaranteed for the upcoming season.
The new circuit will feature six core events involving the top eight men’s and women’s teams.
Beneath this level, a second division will consist of six teams—four from the Los Angeles playoffs and two others emerging from a standalone Challenger tournament. The Challenger will involve eight teams per division, ranked 13th to 20th globally.
Each season will conclude with a grand finals event, where 12 teams—comprising the top eight from the main circuit and four qualifiers from the second tier—will compete for the overall honors.
This structure is expected to remain in place through the end of the current Olympic cycle in July 2028, although the financial backing is only secured for the first season under the new model.
World 7s Series promotion/relegation playoffs
Pool A:
Kenya 7s
USA
Portugal
Samoa
Pool B:
Uruguay
Ireland
Canada
Germany
