Kenya Lionesses celebrate after winning in South Africa. March 9, 2025. [File, World Rugby]
World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series champions Kenya Lionesses will be seeking to join their male counterparts, Kenya Sevens, in the HSBC SVNS next season when they battle the four bottom teams from the women’s top-tier league tomorrow in Los Angeles.
Kenya Women were crowned overall champions of the Challenger Series following a string of impressive performances across all three rounds.
They kicked off their campaign in style by winning the opening two tournaments in Cape Town, displaying consistency, skill, and resilience throughout.
Their dominance in Cape Town set the tone, securing back-to-back titles with commanding wins.
Despite a tough final leg in Krakow, where they finished third at Henryk Reyman’s Municipal Stadium, their cumulative success was enough to seal the series crown.
In Los Angeles, Lionesses have been drawn in Group A alongside Brazil, Spain, and Colombia, will be looking to continue their rich vein of form as they seek core status.
Kenyan tactician Denis Mwanja has made two changes to the side that featured in Poland, welcoming Mwamba RFC stars Edith Nariaka, making her season debut, and Faith Livoi, who returns after missing the Poland assignment.
Naomi Amuguni is the only player from the previous squad who misses out on the trip to LA.
“Camp was great, and we got ample time to polish up on our details of the game. The selection was tough as all players brought their A-game throughout camp. We are happy for Edith, who has been impressive in training all season, and look forward to her performance in LA,” said Mwanja.
Mwanja recognised what was at stake, qualifying for the top league.
“All pools are tricky, but we will navigate ours cautiously. Everyone is chasing core status, but we trust in our systems and the momentum we have built. We can’t be counted out,” he said.
Kenya’s captain, Grace Okulu, told World Rugby that they were proud of their performance and the support they have received from their fans throughout the series, and they can’t wait to cap it off with a better show in Los Angeles.
“It’s been a tough journey, but we bounced back and we were able to win the series. Since last year we didn’t qualify, this year we had a lot to do.
“It feels amazing; I don’t think anyone in Kenya Rugby has ever done this! But being the first females and for us to be the champions of the series, it means so much to us.
“It’s always nice having Kenyans around, it’s always a party! If you know where the party is, you’ll always find Kenyans! We are so lucky to have our fans come to support us all the way,” she said.
Los Angeles is set to host an enthralling climax to the international rugby sevens season as the HSBC SVNS 2025 champions will be crowned
The world’s best 32 teams will be in action in LA with the top eight men’s and women’s teams competing in the HSBC SVNS World Championship and the next best eight teams in the SVNS Play Off
New Zealand women and Argentina men will be looking to back up the HSBC SVNS League Winners titles they claimed in Singapore, while Olympic bronze medal-winning USA women will be hoping to cheer home crowd
The event takes place at Dignity Health Sports Park, which will host the LA 2028 Olympic rugby sevens competition.
Washington Onyango
| May 02, 2025