Kenya Sevens national teams, Shujaa and Lionesses, will have three opportunities to secure qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, after World Rugby confirmed the pathway to the next Olympic sevens tournament.Download our Mozzart Sport app for more newsWith support from the National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOC-K) through the LA28 Scholarship Programme, both teams will begin their campaigns to return Kenya to the Olympic stage in Los Angeles.LA28 will feature 12 men’s and 12 women’s teams, with each qualified National Olympic Committee entitled to select a squad of 12 players.##NAJAVA_MECA_9945978##The qualification race gets underway during the HSBC SVNS 2027 season, which begins in Dubai in November 2026, and concludes in Bordeaux in May 2027.For Kenya, the journey to Los Angeles can be secured through three routes: the SVNS Championship standings, the African regional qualifier or, if necessary, the final Olympic Repechage.Sheila Chajira hails Ultimate 7s draft as sign of Kenya Rugby’s growthSVNS offers the most direct routeThe first and most direct opportunity will come through the HSBC SVNS 2027 Championship standings.The top four eligible teams in both the men’s and women’s competitions, excluding hosts USA, will earn automatic qualification for LA28 based on their final standings at the end of the 2027 season.This gives Shujaa and the Lionesses an opportunity to book their Olympic places without having to go through a separate qualification tournament.For Kenya, however, that will require consistency throughout the SVNS season. Every tournament will carry added importance as the teams seek to accumulate enough points to finish among the four highest-ranked eligible sides.The qualification target will therefore add another layer of significance to the 2027 SVNS campaign, with Kenya needing to produce strong performances across the circuit, rather than relying on a single standout tournament.Details of Christie 7s' new trophy unveiled to mark 60th anniversary [PHOTOS]Africa provides a second chanceFailure to secure a top-four finish on the SVNS circuit will not end Kenya’s Olympic hopes.The second pathway will come through the regional qualification tournaments, scheduled for the second half of 2027.World Rugby’s six regional associations will each have one men’s and one women’s Olympic qualification place available. For Kenya, that means the African regional qualifier will provide another opportunity for both Shujaa and the Lionesses to earn their tickets to Los Angeles.The teams will need to successfully negotiate the continental competition and emerge as Africa’s representative to claim the available Olympic quota place.This route could prove particularly important should Kenya fall short of automatic qualification through the SVNS standings.Freshia Oduor set for dream opportunity alongside rugby idol at Ultimate 7sRepechage keeps the Olympic dream aliveThere will also be one final opportunity for teams that fail to qualify through either the SVNS Championship or their regional tournament.The final men’s and women’s Olympic places will be decided at the Olympic Repechage in June 2028.For Kenya, the repechage represents a last chance to keep the Olympic dream alive, and secure a place in Los Angeles.The three-stage pathway means Shujaa and the Lionesses have multiple opportunities to achieve their objective: finish among the top four eligible teams in the 2027 SVNS standings, win the African regional qualifier, or come through the Olympic Repechage.##NAJAVA_MECA_9945604##With the qualification race beginning in the 2026/27 season, preparation and consistency will be central to Kenya’s ambitions.Backed by NOC-K through the LA28 Scholarship Programme, the two teams will be looking to use the extended qualification window to build momentum, sharpen their performances, and ensure they are competitive at every stage of the campaign.