When the first ball is kicked on the 15th of November 2025 at the RFUEA grounds, signifying the start of the 2025 Rugby Africa Women’s Sevens tournament, it will mark nine years of a transformational journey for Kenya’s womens rugby and the Lionesses, since the last time the tournament was hosted in the country, in Machakos.
Back then, in April 2014, the country’s women’s Sevens program was just shy of seven years old, then under Kevin ‘Bling’ Wambua, the team rarely had regular training sessions, and had just made their debut at the Hong Kong Sevens in March, with the sole dream of becoming a World Sevens Series core side.
In 2014, the Confederation of Africa Rugby (CAR) Women’s Sevens Tournament was a one-day tournament featuring 8 sides, where the Lionesses finished second, losing 15-0 to South Africa, but famously beating hot favourites Tunisia 14-10 in the Cup semi-final. The fresh boards lining the then mint Machakos stadium players’ tunnel bore the full brunt of that loss, it was also the first time I saw a lady head butt a wall…story for another day!
There was a handful of fans at the Machakos stadium in 2014, outside the working teams, I doubt there were more than 200 paying fans.
Fast forward nine years, and what a transformation it has been for the Lionesses and women’s rugby in the country. First up, the dream of becoming a core side in the World Sevens Series was curtailed by the old wazungus at World Rugby, who trimmed the number of core teams at the last minute, wakwende uko!
The Lionesses won the Rugby Africa Women’s Sevens, now featuring 12 teams, in 2018, playing in another six finals since Machakos. From a feeder pool of three local clubs, the national team now picks from eight local clubs, as well as international clubs.
The team now has full-time dedicated sponsors, a schedule, and did I mention they are the current World Sevens Challenger Series champions? They beat SA in back-to-back encounters in Cape Town on their way to that overall title.
When the Lionesses step onto the RFUEA grounds on the 15th, against the Ivory Coast in Pool B action at 12:44 PM, it will be a homecoming of sorts, a moment of coming full circle, for the team, from the last time we saw them taking on the continent at home. They’ll be walking out as a whole different animal than the one we saw in 2014, a more prepared, confident, proud, and loud Lioness, ready to roar at her home turf!
Your assignment, should you choose to accept it, is to turn up loud and proud at the RFUEA grounds this weekend and support the Lionesses as they take on the continent. See you there!
KWISHA… Nimeruka Nje!!!
