The Kenya Lionesses are entering the final stretch of preparations as they gear up to hosting the opening leg of the 2026 HSBC SVNS 2 tournament scheduled to take place at the Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi on February 14-15.
The event marks a significant moment for the national women’s rugby sevens team and Kenya as it’s the first time the country is hosting a major World Rugby event.
Speaking at the open media session and jersey unveiling ceremony held on Monday at the RFUEA Grounds, Head Coach Simon Odongo expressed confidence in the team’s readiness after transition from their camp in Spain.
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Kenya Lionesses coach Simon Odongo upbeat ahead of HSBC SVNS 2 leg in Nairobi
“We’ve had adequate support from the union , prepared well been in camp in Europe in Spain and Belgium in the last fortnight.
We have managed to put in the work that was required having tested ourselves against some of the best opponents out here.
The girls are looking sharp, the spirits are high, and we’ve basically been fine-tuning our structures and ensuring that the mental state of the players is where it needs to be for a tournament of this magnitude and now we wait for action,” Odongo stated.
The squad for the Nairobi leg features a blend of emerging talent and veterans most notably with the inclusion of debutants Charity Nilah and Marvel Oswago.
Nilah, representing the National Youth Service (NYS), and Oswago, a standout player from Rongo University, have both impressed the technical bench through their performances in the local circuit.
Coach Odongo praised their integration into the senior setup, noting, “The two debutants have earned their places,they are very hungry.
They’ve been very consistent in the local circuit and also during our training sessions. They bring a lot of energy and have laid down their mark against some of the best players around in training.
It’s always good to have fresh blood in the squad as it shows anybody can make it to the squad and when given a chance you do your job.”
The squad for the tournament at Nyayo Stadium marks the return of influential Stella Wafula who recently returned from the United States after participating in a high-performance program with the Rhino Rugby franchise, a commitment that caused her to miss the 2025 Africa Women’s Sevens last November.
“It is wonderful to have Stella back,any coach would want a player like her in the team,” Odongo remarked.
She brings very good ball carrying ability and scrummage skills. She is just a complete player and her energy on the pitch she also knows how to rally her fellow players. Her coming back into the squad is a big boost for us.
She brings in a lot of experience and it gives the rest of the players a bit of confidence knowing that they have an experienced head among them.”
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Recognizing the edge provided by the home crowd, Odongo emphasized that the supporters will be crucial in driving the Lionesses.
“It’s always a pleasure to be at home of course you have your fans,friends and everyone pushing you in the stands.
For us to have them is a boost.
Last time out at the Africa Women’s Sevens,we fell short in the final but credit to South Africa,they showed us where we need to work on after bringing their A Game at the very right time.”
Twelve teams will battle it out for a top-four finish in the series to earn a chance at promotion to the elite SVNS World Championship.
The Kenya Lionesses will face a challenging field that includes Brazil,China,Spain, South Africa and Argentina who qualified via the SVNS 3 in Dubai.