The women’s national rugby 7s team, Kenya Lionesses, will be looking to book a spot in the World Rugby Challenger Series 2025 when they take part in the 2024 Rugby Africa Women’s 7s Cup scheduled to take place in Accra, Ghana from 9-10 November.
The teams finishing in the top three will earn a spot in the Challenger Series 2025 that will be used to gain promotion to the HSBC SVNS Series.
The Lionesses, who wrapped up their final training session on Tuesday, are placed in Group C alongside hosts Ghana, Madagascar, and Mauritius.
They will begin their campaign against Mauritius on November 9 before they face Ghana and Madagascar later that day with all the games live on Rugby Pass TV.
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During the final training session, head coach Dennis Mwanja reflected on lessons learned from the previous Challenger Series 2024 that he hoped will help the team to improve.
“The Challenger Series was a good opportunity for the team to be able to compete at the top level and also improve. We fell short of the top four, but we can say we gave the best account of ourselves,” Mwanja said.
“What we learned from the Challenger experience is that we have a long way to go in terms of depth, building capacity and fitness,” he noted.
Despite the challenges, Mwanja believes the team has grown significantly.
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“The bigger picture is that we have grown as a team and the players have gained valuable match experience,” he noted.
Mwanja also emphasized the importance of key player returns, including the addition of Faith Livoi, who joins the team after a standout career in the 15s format.
“Having Faith Livoi, who raised her hand and is also a force, is good because she was in the biggest code in the 15s.
The effect of all this is that we are looking at a future where we can have as many players as the Shujaa side and more competitive players so we can have a realistic chance at the HSBC Series next year,” he added.
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Team captain Sheila Chajira expressed confidence in the team’s readiness saying, “We’ve been training nonstop since the last Challenger Series. We’re determined to face South Africa, the team that eliminated us from Olympic qualification.
This time, we’re focused on winning the Africa Cup and qualifying for the Challenger Series,” she said.
In addition to Livoi’s debut, several other players are making their return to the national team and include Grace Adhiambo, Christabel Lindo, Stellah Wafula and Judith Auma.
Kenya Lionesses Final Squad
Sheila Chajira
Grace Adhiambo (Nakuru RFC)
Christabel Lindo (Impala Roans)
Stellah Wafula (Impala Roans)
Judith Auma (Impala Roans)
Faith Livoi (Mwamba RFC)
Diana Awino (Impala Roans)
Moreen Muritu (Nakuru RFC)
Sinaida Mokaya (Impala Roans)
Diana Kemunto (Impala Roans)
Sharon Auma (Impala Roans)
Freshia Awuor (Nakuru RFC)
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