Safari Sevens will be held in October this year, the Kenya Rugby Union (KRU) chairman, Alexander Mutai has announced.
The hugely popular event, which was held in November last year, has been pushed forward to October to attract top international sides and avoid a clash with the World Sevens Series window which is in session in November.
Mutai said it will be a delicate balancing act with the Women Africa Cup Sevens and WXV tournaments all slated to be played in the same month.
“The Africa Sevens and WXV tournaments will be played at the same time so we will have to ensure we field a strong squad, especially for the Women. We don't have depth in women's rugby so it will be quite challenging but we will see how it goes," added Mutai.
He said early planning and preparations will be vital for the success of the tournament.
"We want to make this year's event bigger and better than last year. This is why a lot will depend on how we handle our planning, preparation and other logistics including sponsorship. We must, therefore, start now and not wait until the last minute," he added.
Last year, the tournament attracted 8000 fans and Mutai said they are targeting bigger numbers this time around.
"We are looking at double the figure from last year since our planning will be better than 12 months ago," observed Mutai
The build-up to the Safari Sevens will start with the Christie 7s kick-off from July 27-28 with teams vying for for supremacy at RFUEA Ground in Nairobi.
A quick shift to Kakamega follows for the Kenya Rugby Union (KRU) event on August 3-4, replacing the Tisap Sevens which was held in Eldoret last year.
Teams are set for a breather on August 10-11 before heading to Kisumu for the Dala Sevens on August 17-18.
As the competition intensifies, teams will converge for the Kabeberi 7s Memorial on August 24-25 at a location to be announced later.
After a brief break from August 30-September 1, rugby heads to Mombasa for the Driftwood Sevens on September 7-8. This will provide fans in the coastal city with a thrilling showcase of skill and athleticism.
The final tournament will be the Prinsloo Sevens in Nakuru on September 14-15. KCB are the defending champions of the National Sevens Series.
