- South Africa outclass host Kenya Lionesses 22–0 to defend the Rugby Africa Women’s 7s title.
- The two-day tournament was held at Nairobi’s RFUEA Grounds on November 15 and 16.
- South Africa needed the victory to qualify for the HSBC third division, while the Kenya Lionesses were mainly chasing bragging rights.
Playing with nothing to lose but bragging rights, the Kenya Lionesses were defeated by South Africa for the third consecutive time in the Rugby Africa Women’s 7s tournament, losing 22-0 on Sunday evening at the RFUEA Grounds in the 2025 edition.
This final was a repeat of the 2023 and 2024 deciders, where South Africa has consistently prevailed over the Kenya Lionesses.
In addition, South Africa not only claimed a successful fifth consecutive title but also clinched a record-extending 12th championship, with eight of those victories coming against the Kenya Lionesses.
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The victory held greater significance for the Springbok women, who needed the win to secure a ticket to the HSBC Sevens Series third division, a pathway that ultimately serves as the Challenger series for promotion to the second tier.
Since the Kenya Lionesses already reside in that second division, they were primarily seeking local glory, but South Africa halted that ambition.
South Africa, who had not conceded a single point throughout the tournament, struck first just seconds before halftime.
The Lionesses had gained the upper hand and were pressing for the lead, but the South African defense held firm.
The momentum shifted dramatically when Shiniqwa Lamprecht spotted a vast gap on the right wing, surging through to evade Edith Nariaka, a substitute for the injured Janet Okello, and score, securing a 7-0 lead at the break.
The Springbok Women began the second half with renewed intensity, extending their advantage to 12-0 following a well-executed try in the left corner by Simamkele Namba.
They maintained relentless pressure, completely overwhelming the Lionesses with their formidable defense.
Just as the Kenya Lionesses tried to find their rhythm and get on the scoreboard, they were stunned by another lightning-fast try from the record champions.
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Patience Mokone broke through the defensive line and touched down, widening the gap to a commanding 17-0 lead.
The Cecil Afrika-led squad added one final try, sealing a comprehensive 22-0 victory to book their place in the HSBC Series third division.
For Kenya, the loss marks a third straight finals defeat, once again denying them the chance to be crowned champions of Africa.
Africa Women’s 7s 2025: Sunday, November 16 Fixtures & Results
Sunday
- 09:00 – Cup QF1: South Africa 48-00 Ghana
- 09:22 – Cup QF2: Madagascar 17-7 Zambia
- 09:44 – Cup QF3: Uganda 31-12 Tunisia
- 10:06 – Cup QF4: Kenya 33-12 Zimbabwe
- 10:28 – 9th Place SF1: Mauritius 22-7 Egypt
- 10:50 – 9th Place SF2: Cote d’Ivoire 5-10 Burkina Faso
- 12:14 – Cup SF1: South Africa 29-00 Madagascar
- 12:36 – Cup SF2: Kenya Lionesses 17-10 Uganda Lady Cranes
- 12:58 – 11th Place Final – Egypt 12-5 Cote d’Ivoire
- 13:20 – 9th Place Final – Mauritius 34-0 Burkina Faso
- 15:00 – 7th Place Final – Zimbabwe 12-19 Ghana
- 15:25 – 5th Place Final – Tunisia 19-14 Zambia
- 15:54 – Bronze Medal Match – Uganda 38-12 Madagascar
- 16:30 – Gold Medal Match – South Africa 22-00 Kenya Lionesses
Saturday Results
- 09:00 – Tunisia 22-00 Egypt
- 09:22 – Zambia 52-00 Burkina Faso
- 09:44 – Ghana 57-00 Cote d’Ivoire
- 10:06 – Zimbabwe 29-5 Mauritius
- 12:00 – Madagascar 31-5 Egypt
- 12:22 – Uganda 50-0 Burkina Faso
- 12:44 – Kenya 44-0 Cote d’Ivoire
- 13:06 – South Africa 68-0 Mauritius
- 15:00 – Madagascar 21-14 Tunisia
- 15:22 – Uganda 20-14 Zambia
- 15:44 – South Africa 40-0 Zimbabwe
- 16:06 – Kenya 37-0 Ghana