Stallions draw Zimbabwe, Ghana, Morocco for SVNS 3 qualifier

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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.

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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.

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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.

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

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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.

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

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

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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.

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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.

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

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

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