NAIROBI - Kenyan sevens fans are known all over the world for their passionate support for their national team when taking part in the IRB World series circuit.

The loyal fans will have the chance to watch their heroes up close on home soil during the Safaricom Sevens, which gets under way in Nairobi today.

The tournament, which will be played in the 60000-seater Moi International Stadium, comes only two weeks before the team resumes its campaign in the 2013-2014 series in Australia.

It will mark the first time that the Safaricom Sevens, dubbed Africa's premier rugby festival, is being staged in such a big arena, signifying the soaring national popularity of the seven-a-side sport, which has grown significantly over the past few years.

"Rugby has come of age," says Kenya Rugby Union (KRU) chairman Mwangi Muthee. "We have made tremendous gains in the HSBC World series. We are now firmly among the four best rugby sevens playing nations in the world.

"Our successful national sevens rugby team has boosted the image of the Safaricom Sevens to a world-class event, and spectacularly in the last 12 months."

Although it has been two years since a Kenya team last won the event, the organisers are gearing up for a massive festival, in terms of crowd and team attendances.

They aim to send a strong statement to the International Rugby Board that Kenya can host one round of the Sevens World Series legs in Nairobi.

The three-day tournament will feature teams drawn from Australia and England. Defending champions Samoa and Western Province of South Africa have also joined the fray.