The national women’s rugby 7s team, Kenya Lionesses, continued their dominance in the first leg of the HSBC Challenger Series 2025 at the Athlone Stadium in Cape Town, South Africa as they beat Poland 29-7 in their second Group D match to secure a spot in the semifinals.
The national team entered the match with confidence after their opening victory against Samoa where they triumphed 20-5.
Kenya took the early lead with Freshia Odour making a brilliant run to give them a 5-0 advantage following an unsuccessful conversion.
Poland responded with a try, which was successfully converted, allowing them to take a 7-5 lead.
Play here and stand a chance of winning the over Ksh 405 million SportPesa Mega Jackpot
It did not take long for Stella Wafula to join the ranks of Kenya’s try scorers when she surged towards the try line.
The score read 10-7 in favor of Kenya following another missed conversion.
The first half ended with Kenya in the lead, while Poland now faced pressure to build on their seven-point advantage gained from Oliwia Krysiak’s try and Julia Druzgała’s conversion, bringing the score to 10-7.
Freshia Odour kicked off the second half with another try, securing a brace and extending the Lionesses’ lead to 17-7 after a successful conversion.
Judith Okumu further extended the lead to 22-7 when Poland faltered defensively, allowing her to sprint through to the finish line. The conversion followed, making the score 24-7.
ALSO READ: Kenya Lionesses Annihilate Samoa in World Rugby HSBC Sevens Challenger Series Opener
The Dennis Mwanja-led side wasn’t done yet as Sinaida Nyachio added another try, with the conversion attempt falling short. The final score was 29-7 in favor of Kenya.
Sheila Chajira expressed her excitement over the win and the team’s ambition to reach the finals of the tournament.
“We are always excited to play in the finals, representing our country in such a prestigious tournament. We’re looking forward to the next game and are determined to make it to the finals,” Chajira told Rugby Afrique after the match.
“While here, we are not just representing Kenya but Africa as a whole. We look forward to facing Uganda or South Africa, as they are formidable opponents in this tournament.”
In their pursuit of reaching the finals in the first leg, the Lionesses will face South Africa in the semifinals scheduled for Sunday at 1618EAT.
ALSO READ: Posta Rangers raze down KCB to dash their FKFPL title hopes
Kenya Lionesses squad in Cape Town
- Naomi Amuguni
- Christabel Lindo
- Sheila Chajira
- Stellah Wafula
- Faith Livoi
- Moreen Muritu
- Sinaida Mokaya
- Freshia Oduor
- Judith Okumu
- Grace Okulu (Captain)
- Sharon Auma
- Diana Ochieng