Nigeria’s home-based rugby star Daniel John has emerged as the Most Valuable Player (MVP) for the Stallions at the 2026 Rugby Africa Men’s Sevens Series in Kampala, Uganda.
John, one of only two domestic-based players in Nigeria’s squad, produced an outstanding performance against a field dominated by foreign-based professionals to claim the individual honour.
The Cowrie RFC player, who also features for Wolverines, Showtime Flag Football in Lagos and the Edo State Rugby team, scored three tries during the tournament, including a brilliant solo effort in Nigeria’s narrow 25-22 victory over Senegal in the fifth-place semi-final.
His performance has renewed calls for the revival of a national rugby league and regular domestic Sevens competitions in Nigeria, following more than four years without a national league, President’s Cup or established domestic Sevens circuit.
“Daniel’s award is not just a personal victory; it is a victory for every player training on empty fields in Lagos, Port Harcourt and Jos, just to mention a few, without a league to play in,” said Obong Ntiense Williams, popularly known as “Mr Rugby.”
“If one of the two home-based players can be MVP in an African tournament, imagine what ten or twenty home-based players can do if we give them a proper national league and opportunities.”
## Stallions Show Grit to Finish Sixth
Coached by Steve Lewis, Nigeria finished sixth among the eight participating nations, improving on their seventh-place finish at the 2025 edition in Mauritius, which featured 12 teams.
The Stallions opened their Kampala campaign with a convincing 26-5 victory over Ghana before suffering a 36-5 defeat to Morocco.
On the second day, Nigeria lost 26-14 to eventual champions Zimbabwe before recovering to defeat Senegal 25-22 in the fifth-place semi-final. They eventually finished sixth after a 19-7 defeat to Tunisia in the fifth-place final.
Nigeria therefore recorded two victories from five matches in a tournament in which the team combined foreign-based professionals with only two home-based players.
Zimbabwe Claim African Title
Zimbabwe emerged champions after defeating hosts Uganda 26-19 in the final.
The victory earned the Cheetahs Africa’s qualification place for the World Rugby HSBC SVNS 3, the global promotion pathway towards the HSBC SVNS World Series, while also forming part of the wider qualification pathway for major international competitions.
South Africa and Kenya retain their top two positions in the African rankings as established SVNS core teams. The remaining teams, including Burkina Faso, Mauritius, Egypt, Namibia and Madagascar, will compete in the second ranking tournament in Mauritius on October 3 and 4.
The final African ranking positions will be determined after the Mauritius tournament.
Call for Domestic Rugby Revival
John’s MVP award has strengthened the argument for greater investment in domestic rugby, with stakeholders calling for regular competitions to provide opportunities for emerging players.
Proponents of a national league argue that consistent domestic competition would provide a pathway for young players to develop and compete for places in both the national Sevens and 15s teams, as well as the women’s national programme.
Nigeria did stage a rugby tournament earlier this year at Rugby School Nigeria in Eko Atlantic City, Lagos, but calls remain for a more sustained domestic competition structure.
Williams said the Stallions’ performance in Kampala should serve as a catalyst for rebuilding the domestic game.
The final standings in Kampala saw Zimbabwe finish first, followed by Uganda, Morocco, Zambia, Tunisia, Nigeria, Senegal and Ghana.
With the Stallions returning home with an improved position and an MVP award for a home-based player, attention now turns to the Nigeria Rugby Football Federation, the National Sports Commission and private-sector stakeholders to support the revival of regular national league and Sevens competitions.
For Nigerian rugby, Daniel John’s performance has provided a timely reminder of the talent available within the domestic game — and the need to create more opportunities for players to develop that talent.
