Uganda’s men’s and women’s rugby sevens teams are set to compete on the global stage in the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Challenger 2025, following confirmation of the tournament schedule.
The competition, designed to provide a promotion pathway to the prestigious HSBC SVNS series, will kick off with back-to-back events in Cape Town, South Africa, before heading to Krakow, Poland, for the deciding round.
Uganda is among the 12 men’s and 11 women’s teams confirmed to compete in the Challenger series.
The men’s team will face tough competition from the likes of Brazil, Germany, and Japan, while the women’s team will challenge regional and global rivals, including South Africa, Argentina, and Kenya.
The series opens in Cape Town with two events scheduled for 1-2 and 7-8 March 2025. The top eight teams from each category will advance to the final round in Krakow on 11-12 April.
Cumulative points from all three rounds will determine the top four teams in both the men’s and women’s competitions.
These teams will then compete in the HSBC SVNS Play Off in Los Angeles on 3-4 May, where they will face the lowest-ranked teams from the current HSBC SVNS series. Promotion to the top-tier SVNS awaits the winners.
The Challenger series features teams from six World Rugby regions, promoting the global development of rugby sevens.
Notable nations include Canada, Hong Kong China, and Portugal in the men’s category, and Poland, Thailand, and Mexico in the women’s.
Last year’s Challenger series saw Kenya and Uruguay’s men and China’s women secure promotion.
Nigel Cass, World Rugby’s Chief Competitions and Performance Officer, highlighted the tournament’s impact.
“Last year’s Challenger demonstrated the growth of international sevens. We are excited to deliver another high-quality series with the support of HSBC and our host cities,” he said.
