A Happy New Year to you all here’s hoping you and yours have had a great start thus far!
The Kenya Rugby Year 2025 looks like one of those slow office days with less action than her predecessors. Being a Women’s World Cup year, some of the events on the calendar have been shelved or are yet to be confirmed.
So what does the year look like through my ‘crystal bowl?’
Shujaa To Retain Core Status
Following a promising start to the 2024/25 season, finishing 10th in Dubai, and then seventh in Capetown to close the year in 8th place, one point outside the drop zone, Shujaa should go on to maintain core status in 2025.
Shujaa look like they are on a solid improvement path, and with a few key faces returning to bolster the team, we should have enough to avoid relegation and finish inside the top eight by the time we get to Singapore in April.
7s Lionesses To Attain Core Status
The year of our Lord 2025 will be the one that takes our Lionesses to the promised land, and attain World Sevens series core status.
With better perks for the side, courtesy of MPESA, the team has already started preparations for the four-legged 2025 Challenger series on 1-2 and 7-8 March in Capetown. The top eight teams from those two legs will proceed to play in Krakow on 11-12 April. The top four ranked teams at the end of the third round will play in the HSBC SVNS Play Off in Los Angeles on 3-4 May.
The Lionesses will qualify to play at that Play Off tournament in LA, where they’ll most probably face China, Brazil, Spain, and one more side from the current World Series and just like the men in 2024, will grab one of those four slots against one of those three sides mentioned.
Simbas Rugby World Cup Hopes
2025 will provide the Simbas with an opportunity to qualify for the 2027 Rugby World Cup through one of two routes. First through the direct Africa ticket, by winning the Rugby Africa Cup set to be hosted sometime in July in Kampala.
The Simbas who finished fourth last year, will face defending champions Zimbabwe, Algeria, Namibia, Uganda, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, and Morroco/Tunisia. Unfortunately, I don’t see the Simbas going through, it will be a spirited run, but again not enough against far much better-prepared teams, we’d be lucky if we made the final. I think Zimbabwe will finally break Namibia’s long run as Africa’s ‘other’ representative at the RWC.
The other route to the RWC will be through finishing second at the RAC, then playing in an Africa / Asia play-off match against the runner-up from Asia to decide who plays in the final Repechage tournament for a single ticket to the World Cup.
Outside the qualification, I hope for more test matches for the Simbas, especially with an eye on the next Rugby World Cup cycle.
Can Anyone Stop Kabras?
Kabras Sugar RFC are on back-to-back unbeaten fifteens seasons, and a three-peat run in the top flight Kenya Cup, the question in 2025 will be, can anyone stop Tang Tang?
I don’t think that there’ll be anyone able to stop them, apart from the sheer work they put in, almost like a pro side, the side is on peak ability level across the park, hao maybe wajipige tu. I think Quins will build on their sevens win to push the top two/three sides, maybe a new finalist?
It also looks like it will be a good year for Blad, Nondies, and Oilers, with Blad finally breaking into the playoff places. With issues plaguing Impala Women, expect an easy stroll for Mwamba to also claim their fourth Kenya Cup title.
Depending on how they play away, starting this weekend in Kisumu, online entertainers SC Pirates might just retain Kenya Cup status, alongside Impala, with MMUST and finally Daystar going the other way. Will we see an ESS final this year?
All in all, 2025 promises to be an exciting year, one that builds on the gains made in 2024, a bigger Safari 7s, a better Rugby Super Series, more home games for the Legends and Chipu to defend the Barthes Trophy (If it is confirmed).
Here is to a great year ahead…
KWISHA…Nimeruka Nje!!
(P.S. You can read what my predictions were for 2024, Here…just for laughs!)
