Kenya and Portugal crowned HSBC SVNS Challenger champions as LA fate looms

Kenya and Portugal have been crowned champions of the HSBC Sevens Challenger 2025 following the third leg of the series in Krakow, Poland over the weekend.

In the men’s division, Portugal overcame Samoa in the final and league-leaders Germany in the semi-finals to claim glory.

Fans were treated to a tantalising showdown with the teams due to go into half-time level had it not been for the impressive skill of Manuel Vareiro with an up-and-under-kick which saw them edge into the lead.

Ultimately Portugal were able to keep ahead with Fabio Conceicao sealing their fate.

Portugal’s Captain Fabio Conceicao commented after the win: “It’s been amazing for us as a young group coming to this tournament with big teams. We knew we could beat anyone and that’s what we did, we showed it on the pitch.”

History was made as Kenya Women were crowned overall champions of the HSBC Sevens Challenger Series, following a string of impressive performances across all three rounds.

They kicked off their campaign in style by winning the opening two tournaments in Cape Town, displaying consistency, skill, and resilience throughout.

Their dominance in Cape Town set the tone — securing back-to-back titles with commanding wins.

Despite a tough final leg in Krakow, where they finished third at Henryk Reyman’s Municipal Stadium, their cumulative success was enough to seal the series crown.

Kenya’s Captain Grace Okulu said after raising the trophy: “It’s actually been a tough couple of days in Krakow but we bounced back and we were able to win the series. Since last year we didn’t qualify so this year we really had a lot to do.

“It actually feels amazing, I don’t think anyone in Kenya Rugby has ever done this! But being the first females and for us to be the champions of the series, it actually means so much to us.

“It’s always nice having Kenyans around, it’s always a party! If you know where the party is, you’ll always find Kenyans! We are so lucky so have our fans come to support us all the way.”

South Africa capped off a dominant weekend in Krakow in the women’s competition with a convincing 21-12 win over Argentina in the final showdown of the day, following a 22-0 shutout against the same opponents the day before.

Having twice finished runners-up to Kenya in the series, this time it was South Africa’s moment to shine. The Springbok Women won all their fixtures across both days, showcasing clinical execution and relentless pace.

Their unbeaten run in Krakow secured them the top prize and marked a standout performance to close out the Challenger series on a high and reaffirm their status as a powerhouse on the sevens stage.

The 2025 edition of the Challenger competition kicked off with combined events over two weekends in Cape Town on 1-2 and 7-8 March, followed by Henryk Reyman’s Municipal Stadium in Krakow on 11-12 April. Next up, all eyes are on the HSBC SVNS Play-off in Los Angeles on 3-4 May.