Akwa Ibom-born Daniel John has emerged as Nigeria’s standout performer at the 2026 Rugby Africa Men’s Sevens tournament in Kampala, Uganda, after winning the Most Valuable Player award despite being one of only two home-based players in the Stallions squad.

 The Cowrie RFC back delivered an impressive performance across the two-day competition, scoring three tries, including a superb solo effort in Nigeria’s thrilling 25-22 victory over Senegal. His pace, power and attacking ability earned him the individual accolade in a squad largely made up of foreign-based professionals.

 John, who also plays for Wolverines, Showtime Flag Football in Lagos and the Edo State Rugby team, has become a strong example of the talent available within Nigeria’s domestic rugby system.

 His breakthrough comes at a challenging time for the domestic game, which has gone more than four years without a national rugby league, President’s Cup or regular 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 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.”

 Under coach Steve Lewis, the Stallions finished sixth among eight participating nations, improving on Nigeria’s seventh-place finish at the 12-team 2025 edition in Mauritius.

 Nigeria began its campaign with a commanding 26-5 win over Ghana before suffering a 36-5 defeat to Morocco on the opening day.

 On the second day, Zimbabwe defeated the Stallions 26-14, but Nigeria responded with a hard-fought 25-22 victory over Senegal in the fifth-place semi-final. Tunisia then ended Nigeria’s campaign with a 19-7 victory in the fifth-place final, leaving the Stallions with two wins from five matches.

 Zimbabwe ultimately claimed the tournament title after defeating hosts Uganda 26-19 in the final, earning Africa’s qualification ticket to the World Rugby HSBC SVNS 3 pathway.

 South Africa and Kenya, already core teams on the global SVNS circuit, retain Africa’s top two ranking positions. The next ranking tournament is scheduled for Mauritius on October 3-4 and will feature Burkina Faso, Mauritius, Egypt, Namibia and Madagascar alongside the two automatic qualifiers.

 For Nigeria, however, John’s MVP recognition has placed renewed attention on the importance of rebuilding the domestic game.

 The Stallions have returned from Kampala with an improved tournament finish and a homegrown player at the heart of the continental spotlight. The challenge now is to translate that success into a stronger domestic pathway.

 The Nigeria Rugby Football Federation, National Sports Commission and potential private-sector partners face the task of reviving regular 15s and Sevens competitions while creating sustainable opportunities for more home-based players to develop and progress into the national team.

 Daniel John’s achievement in Kampala has shown what Nigerian players can produce when given the opportunity. The next step is ensuring that more players have the chance to follow his path.