Former Rugby Africa Women’s Sevens champions, Kenya Lionesses, have landed in Ghana ready for this year’s edition slated for November 9-10 at the University of Ghana in Accra. Coach Dennis Mwanja’s charges left Nairobi at 5.00am and arrived in the West African country at 3.00pm.
The Lionesses, who bagged the African title in 2018, are in a tricky, but exciting pool. On the first day of the competition on Saturday, Kenya will tackle Mauritius at 1.06pm, and Ghana (3.50pm) before the big one against Madagascar (6.34pm).
The 7s team boast of good records against both Ghana and Madagascar but have never met Mauritius. Madagascar have proven to be stubborn to Kenya, especially in the 15-a-side game. In the shorter version of the game, Kenya defeated Madagascar 29-10 in groups in 2011, 24-14 in 2014, 38-0 in 2016, 27-5 in 2017, 42-0 in 2018, 27-0 in the semi-final in 2018, and 20-17 in groups in 2023.
It means the Kenyans will be chasing their eighth win against not-to-be-underestimated Madagascar who will definitely be the main rival in the group phase. Kenya beat Ghana 36-0 in groups in 2019,20-0 in fifth-eighth place playoffs, and 42-0 in groups in 2023, and, while Ghana has the home fans and home advantage, the treatment from the Lionesses is not expected to be different.
“I am excited about the tournament. All teams have been training and preparing for the tournament which also serves as Challenger Series qualifiers. It won’t be easy,” noted former captain Judith Okumu who is one of the star players in the Lionesses. She added, “South Africa will pose a great threat, but I believe we are well-prepared. We are going for it.”
Africa Women’s Sevens is a premier African competition. It is played in a fast-paced rugby sevens format, where each team is made up of seven players. Matches are played in two halves of seven minutes. The 2024 edition of the tournament will not only determine the champions of Africa but also offer an opportunity for the top three teams to qualify for the 2025 World Rugby Challenger Series, the qualifying tournament for the World Rugby Sevens Series. Organised by the African rugby governing body, Rugby Africa, the annual tournament will feature 12 national women’s teams.
Apart from Kenya, Ghana, Mauritius, and 2022 finalists Madagascar, there are also nine-time record champions South Africa, who are also defending the title, 2012 winners Tunisia,2016 bronze medalists Zimbabwe, four-time silver medal winners Uganda, as well as Burkina Faso, Zambia, Senegal, and Cote d’Ivoire.
Match Day 1: Saturday 9 November 2024 (Kenyan time)
- Game 1: Zambia vs Senegal (12.00 pm)
- Game 2: Uganda vs Cote d’Ivoire (12.22pm)
- Game 3: Ghana vs Madagascar (12.44pm)
- Game 4: Kenya vs Mauritius (1.06pm)
- Game 5: Tunisia vs Zimbabwe (1.28pm)
- Game 6: South Africa vs Burkina Faso(1.50pm)
- Game 7: Zambia vs Côte d’Ivoire (2.44pm)
- Game 8: Uganda vs Senegal (3.06pm)
- Game 9: Madagascar vs Mauritius (3.28pm)
- Game 10: Kenya vs Ghana (3.50pm)
- Game 11: Tunisia vs Burkina Faso (4.12pm)
- Game 12: South Africa vs Zimbabwe (4.34pm)
- Game 13: Senegal vs Cote d’Ivoire (5.50pm)
- Game 14: Uganda vs Zambia (6.12pm)
- Game 15: Kenya vs Madagascar (6.34pm)
- Game 16: Zimbabwe vs Burkina Faso (6.56pm)
- Game 17: South Africa vs Tunisia (7.18pm)
- Game 18: Ghana vs Mauritius (7.40pm)
