2024 Safari 7s finalists Shogun Rugby have confirmed their participation in the 2025 edition of the tournament.
Shogun will once again field both men’s and women’s squads and join French Renegades, who have also confirmed their participation ahead of the competition.
2025 Safari 7s line-up
They will line up alongside Kenya’s Shujaa and Morans, as well as KCB Rugby, who are expected to feature in the event.
In the women’s category, the Shogun Ladies will join Kenya Lionesses 1 and Lionesses 2, as well as Tunisia Ladies.
“The countdown is ON!! 15 more sleeps until our Shogun Men & Women touchdown in Nairobi, Kenya for this 27th edition of Safari 7s. Another opportunity to make memories and create pathways!! Safari 7s, see you soon,” Shogun announced.
Shogun Rugby Football Club was founded by Terry Sands in 1996, inspired by the spirit and tenacity of the Japanese national rugby team during the 1995 Rugby World Cup.
Originally known as Samurai RFC, the club quickly earned a reputation as one of the best 7s teams in the world. Operating on a purely invitational basis, Shogun typically assembles a fresh squad of coaches and players for each tournament, boasting an exceptional win/loss record that remains the envy of the sport.
In 2024, the club rebranded as Shogun Rugby Club — a name that better reflects its core values, exceptional leadership, and commanding presence both on and off the field.
For over 25 years, Shogun RFC has sustained itself through fundraising, donations, and sponsorships on a completely non-profit basis. All funds raised go toward covering the costs of competing in international tournaments annually, making them the “Harlem Globetrotters” of the fast-growing sport of Rugby 7s.
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The Safari 7s will return to Nyayo National Stadium for the first time since 2021, when Shujaa defeated Germany in the final to lift the trophy.
The 2023 edition was held at the RFUEA Grounds, while the 2024 tournament took place at Machakos Stadium.
This will be the fourth time the 35,000-seater Nyayo National Stadium hosts the competition, having previously staged the event in 2011 and 2012 after rising attendance numbers outgrew the RFUEA Grounds.
Kenya’s Shujaa and Costa Blanca Ladies are the reigning champions, having claimed the men’s and women’s titles respectively at the 2024 tournament in Machakos.
