The world’s best university rugby sevens players will converge on Stellenbosch from 4 to 6 September as the FISU World University Championship Rugby Sevens returns for another three days of high-speed action, international rivalry and university sport at its finest.
Hosted by University Sport South Africa and organised by Maties Sport at Stellenbosch University, the 2026 championship brings the competition to one of South Africa’s great university sporting environments. About 200 men and women, making up 17 teams from 14 countries, will battle it out over three days in the Danie Craven Stadium.
The Stellenbosch 2026 FISU World University Championship Rugby Sevens will take place from 4-6 September.
All competitions will be streamed live for all you rugby fans out there. To watch click here.
Click here to access photos and highlights.
Click here to get all the results.
For all information and further updates, follow the event on Facebook and Instagram @FISURugby7s, visit the event’s website or follow’s FISU’s social platforms on @FISU.
Find out more about the host
The University
Stellenbosch University is home to around 31,000 students, while its Coetzenburg sporting campus supports more than 6,000 student-athletes across recreational, competitive and high-performance sport.
There is also a deep rugby tradition to draw upon. Maties Rugby has a history stretching back 151 years, with 188 of its players having gone on to represent South Africa as Springboks. That heritage provides a fitting backdrop for a championship built around the next generation of international university rugby stars. And with Stellenbosch University’s long rugby tradition, the stage is set for an especially memorable edition.
Stellenbosch is renowned for its university, sporting and cultural life, while the championship will offer visiting student-athletes an opportunity to experience the town and wider Western Cape alongside their competition programme. The organisers have planned cultural activities, community engagement and school visits as part of the wider championship experience.
The Venue
Coetzenburg is Maties Sport’s historic sporting campus, and will be the competition ground for the 2026 FISU World University Championship Rugby Sevens. It is a well-resourced sporting campus with numerous multi-purpose venues, as well as dedicated code venues.
The iconic Danie Craven Stadium will serve as the venue and backdrop of the Championship. The stadium is best known as the home of Maties Rugby and has hosted years of rugby matches including several Varsity Cup finals with a capacity of around 18,000 spectators.
The participants
South Africa will be looking to prove that its 2024 men’s runners up medal was a stepping stone to the ultimate university rugby success in this year’s edition while Japan’s women will seek to show that their commanding performance in Aix-en-Provence can be repeated on South African soil. But the chasing pack will have other ideas.
The competition schedule
Message from the USSA President, Jerry Lanka
“On behalf of University Sport South Africa, I welcome every student-athlete, official, and guest to South Africa and to Stellenbosch University for the 2026 FISU World University Rugby Sevens Championship.
It is a proud moment for us as a nation and for USSA to host this championship for the very first time in South Africa. Stellenbosch has a proud tradition of excellence in sport, and I have no doubt this tournament will be delivered to the highest standard.
To our student-athletes, go out there, play with passion, represent your universities and countries with pride, and build friendships that go beyond the final whistle because that’s what university sport is all about.
To our visitors, please experience South African hospitality at its best. Expect world-class rugby, fierce competition, and the true spirit of student sport right here in the heart of the Winelands.”
Written by Kimara Singh Ruiters
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