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Kenya will need a good start to put them in good stead ahead of tough meetings against South Africa and Cameroon
Kenya Lionesses will be banking on the quality of their squad as they being their Rugby Africa Women’s First Division campaign against Madagascar on Saturday.
The Lionesses will need a good start to put them in good stead ahead of their matches against South Africa four days later and Cameroon on May 28.
Kenya have an experienced squad in Madagascar that was boosted by the return of forwards Sheila Chajira, Enid Ouma and Mercy Migongo, joining for the first time since August 2021 when Kenya took on South Africa in Stellenbosch.
The trio were part of the 11 changes made by coach Dennis Mwanja from the squad that won the 2022 Rugby Africa Women’s Pool B tournament in Kampala, Uganda.
“We are quietly confident as we look at a bright future for the Lionesses. We want to take our sport at the top level of rugby because for so long, we have fallen short and almost been there,” Mwaja said while unveiling his squad on Tuesday.
“We have our work cut out and have picked a team that is full of youth and experience with the cornerstone being discipline, commitment and also the belief in having players with the right attitude to play.”
The winner of this tournament will qualify for the second tier of the newly-launched World Rugby WXV with the runner up qualifying for the third tier of the same competition which is intended to revolutionise the women’s international rugby landscape, providing for the first time a meaningful pathway for all unions and a competitive springboard towards an expanded 16-team Rugby World Cup in 2025.
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