NAIROBI, Kenya, August 13, 2025 – This year’s edition of the Christie Sevens is set to be the largest ever in the history of Kenya’s longest-running rugby sevens tournament, with organisers promising more teams, bigger crowds, and a world-class fan experience.
Speaking at the RFUEA grounds, tournament director Nekesa Were revealed that the three-day tourney, beginning Friday (August 15) to Sunday (August 17), will feature 81 teams and nearly 1,000 players, making it the biggest in the tournament’s 59-year history.
“This year is likely to be the largest Christie ever. From Friday to Sunday, we’ll host 36 men’s teams, eight women’s teams, 33 age-grade teams, and four veteran squads, with numbers still growing as more teams confirm participation,” Were said.
The tournament, named in honour of rugby legend Alex Sandi Milner-Christie, has built a reputation on a strong foundation of club support and community engagement.
“Christie Sevens thrives because of a strong foundation of the club and an engaged member base who year after year put in the energy to deliver this tournament and constantly improve on it,” Were said.
Fans attending the event in person can expect matches across two venues, with Division 1 men’s and some women’s games at RFUEA and Division 2 fixtures, alongside other women’s games, at the adjacent Impala Grounds.
Action kicks off on Friday morning with the age-grade tournament, followed by the veterans’ competition under floodlights at Impala.
Organizers are also raising the bar for fans watching remotely.
Were announced a revamped live stream with more cameras, expert commentary, and detailed analysis, accessible at christysevens.lia.live for 175 shillings per day or 300 shillings for the weekend.
“We want to deliver a world-class experience to our online audience across Nairobi, Kenya, and the world,” she said.
Beyond the rugby, this year’s Christie Sevens will also feature a new tailgate experience in partnership with Barbecue Bandits, with island-inspired and Texas barbecue feasts on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.
Tickets for the tailgate are on sale at 5,000 shillings per person, with group discounts available.
Regular and VIP weekend passes are also on sale, with prices ranging from 650 shillings for standard tickets to 3,000 shillings for VIP.
“Christie Sevens is more than a tournament—it’s a festival. With rugby, music, food, and entertainment, there’s something for everyone,” Were concluded.
Speaking at the same time, Quins chair Victor Sudi said Christie 7s is a legacy project for which the club’s executive committee wants to establish as a prestigious product to bequeath to future office bearers.
“I always tell my committee members that we are vision carriers…we have received a good tournament and a good opportunity to grow it before we hand it over to the next committee after us. I am humbled we’ve managed to get to where we are. This is indeed a special weekend and I urge everyone to come out in numbers,” Sudi said.
Likewise, Kenya Rugby Union (KRU) CEO Thomas Odundo expressed hope that Christie 7s will continue to provide fond memories as it has done to him and many others who have played in past editions.
“Fifty-nine editions is no mean feat…the tourney is even older than NSC. I have fond memories of this tournament. The first time I played in it was for another team against Quins and the last time I played, it was for Quins and we went on to win it,” Odundo said.
This weekend’s tourney will be the third leg of the National Sevens Circuit (NSC), which began in Mombasa (Driftwood) and Nakuru (Prinsloo).
