The age-grade category of the Christie 7s will not take place on Friday, 11 September, as originally planned.The category has been scrapped after the Kenya Rugby Union (KRU) said it would not be able to facilitate the release of school-going players to participate in the tournament.Download our Mozzart Sport App for more newsThe age-grade competition had been scheduled at the Impala Grounds as a curtain-raiser to the main Christie 7s tournament.In a letter to Kenya Harlequins, KRU Director of Rugby and Pathways Manager Paul Odera said the decision was necessitated by a government directive regulating school activities during the 2026 national assessment and examination period.##NAJAVA_MECA_9952670##The Ministry of Education, in a circular dated 3 September, said the Third Term of the school calendar coincides with the national assessment and examination season.The Kenya National Examinations Council has scheduled the 2026 KCSE examinations for 19 October to 20 November, while other national assessments, including KPSEA, KJSEA and KPLEA, will take place from late October.The Ministry said it had deemed it necessary to regulate co-curricular, social and external-engagement activities throughout the Third Term and the national assessment and examination period to facilitate effective preparation and administration of the examinations and minimise disruption.Andrew Amonde Christie 7s game plan without Ultimate Sevens starsThe directive has had a direct impact on the Christie 7s age-grade competition, with KRU opting against facilitating the participation of school-going players.According to the union, the seriousness of the directive was underscored by developments in Embu last week, where the Ministry of Education considered reprimanding teachers and students who had been involved in an age-grade tournament.“In line with the circular, the KRU will therefore not promote Age Grade activities during this period,” Odera said in the letter to Kenya Harlequin.The cancellation means the 2026 Christie 7s will proceed without the planned school-age curtain-raiser, as organisers seek to comply with the government’s restrictions on school-related activities.How Mean Machine clinched surprise Division One promotionDespite the cancellation, KRU stressed that its decision does not signal a shift in its commitment to developing young rugby players.“The Kenya Rugby Union remains committed to the development of Age Grade rugby,” the union said, while expressing its desire to continue working with Kenya Harlequins on future activities.Fans will, however, be entertained by the veterans' matches set to take place on Friday night at the Impala Grounds.