Stallions draw Zimbabwe, Ghana, Morocco for SVNS 3 qualifier

Nigeria’s senior men’s rugby sevens team, the Stallions, have been drawn alongside Zimbabwe, Ghana and Morocco in Pool A of the 2026 Africa Men’s Sevens Series.

The competition, which doubles as the African qualifier for the 2027 World Rugby SVNS 3, will take place in Kampala, Uganda, on September 26 and 27.

The Stallions will need to finish among the top two teams in their group to progress to the semi-finals, with the eventual winner securing Africa’s qualification ticket for the 2027 SVNS 3 circuit.

Hosts Uganda headline Pool B alongside Zambia, Tunisia and Senegal in the eight-team tournament.

The competition will also serve as the opening event of the revised 2026 Rugby Africa Men’s Sevens Series, giving the participating teams an opportunity to improve their continental rankings.

For Nigeria, the tournament represents an opportunity to return to the international sevens circuit after missing out on the global stage.

The Stallions were among eight teams confirmed for the qualifying tournament after Rugby Africa revised its competition calendar.

The event was originally scheduled as a 12-team Africa Men’s Sevens tournament in Mauritius but was postponed following the Ebola outbreak. Uganda was subsequently selected to host the eight-team qualifying tournament, while the Africa Men’s Sevens tournament remains scheduled for Mauritius in October.

The Nigerian team will face Zimbabwe, Ghana and Morocco in the pool stage before the knockout phase, where the two leading teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals.

The winner in Kampala will earn the right to represent Africa on the 2027 World Rugby SVNS 3 circuit.

The Stallions will therefore need to negotiate a difficult Pool A before turning their attention to the qualification ticket at stake in Uganda.