Kenya’s national women’s rugby team, the ‘Lionesses,’ has finished runners-up in the just-concluded 2026 Rugby Africa Women’s Cup Performance Division after South Africa.
The stage was set for a blockbuster finale on Sunday, 31st May, as the Kenya Lionesses faced South Africa in the final match of the 2026 Rugby Africa Women’s Cup Performance Division.
However, it was South Africa who emerged victorious, defeating the Lionesses 35-20, to retain their continental crown.
Both sides entered the highly anticipated clash unbeaten during the contest that was held from 21st to 31st May, 2026. at the RFUEA Grounds in Nairobi, Kenya, with the winner set to be crowned champions.
The Springbok Women struck first through winger Alichia Arries, with Jakkie Cilliers adding the conversion to hand the visitors an early advantage. Kenya responded strongly, with Faith Livoi crossing the line to get the hosts on the scoreboard before Sinaida Mokaya calmly slotted a penalty to give the Lionesses a narrow one-point lead heading into halftime.
South Africa returned from the break with renewed intensity and quickly seized control of the contest. Tries from Naima Hlatshwayo and Logan Welman stretched the visitor’s advantage and put Kenya on a leash.
Kenya Lionesses, however, refused to surrender. With 13 minutes remaining, Knight Otuoma powered over for a crucial try to reignite home hopes.
Moments later, Mokaya produced one of the highlights of the match, collecting an errant South African kick, before sprinting down the left touchline for a sensational solo try that brought the home crowd to its feet.
But just as Kenya threatened a comeback, South Africa delivered the decisive blows. Tries from Jakkie Cilliers and Ntsako Mbombi, coupled with clinical goal-kicking, extinguished the Lionesses’ hopes and secured a 35-20 victory for the defending champions.
The triumph marked South Africa’s fifth consecutive Rugby Africa Women’s Cup title since the tournament’s inception in 2019, further cementing their status as the undisputed queens of African women’s rugby.
The competition ran concurrently with the HSBC SVNS Championship in Spain and formed part of the celebrations marking 40 years of Rugby Africa, which was founded in 1986 in Tunisia.
The Tournament got-off to a thrilling start as South Africa underlined their title credentials with a commanding 64-5 victory over Madagascar.
Despite Madagascar drawing first blood with an early unconverted try, the Springbok women quickly asserted their dominance, crossing the whitewash four times before halftime to take a comfortable 26-5 lead into the break.
South Africa returned for the second half with even greater intensity, slicing through Madagascar’s defense six more times to complete a ruthless 64-5 triumph. The result highlighted the gulf in class between the continental giants and their opponents.
Attention then shifted to the much-anticipated East African derby between Kenya and Uganda, a fixture that has long captivated rugby fans across the region.
Heading into the contest, the two rivals had met more than 20 times, with the Lionesses holding a superior record of 13 wins to Uganda’s seven. The fierce rivalry is regarded by World Rugby as one of the most notable rivalries in the world of rugby.
“We are heading into the tournament with one clear objective, to finish at the top. However, we will take each game one at a time and will not take any opponent for granted,” said Kenya Lionesses Head Coach Simon Odongo in an interview with media organised by the Kenya Rugby Union.
Backed by a passionate home crowd, Kenya delivered a statement performance, cruising to a convincing 43-10 victory over the Lady Cranes.
The Lionesses made their intentions clear from the outset, using the blistering pace of Janet Okello, to gain an early advantage. Uganda responded with a try of their own to level matters, but Kenya gradually took control of the contest. Two more well-worked tries, allowed the hosts to stretch their lead to 17-7 before Uganda narrowed the deficit with a penalty.
Kenya tightened up defensively and cut out the errors that had briefly allowed Uganda back into the game. Their dominance was reflected on the scoreboard, as they extended their lead to 22-10 by halftime, laying the foundation for a comfortable victory in the second half.
The second half marked the beginning of the end for Uganda as the Kenya Lionesses resumed after the break with renewed energy and attacking intent, relentlessly probing Uganda’s defensive line.
Their efforts paid off when Faith Livoi powered over for another try, with Sinaida Nyachio calmly adding the conversion to extend Kenya’s lead to 29-10.
The Lionesses continued to dominate proceedings, their scrum providing a solid platform while the forwards consistently gained valuable meters. With Uganda struggling to contain the host’s momentum, birthday girl Jacinta Musakali joined the scoresheet, delighting the home crowd. Nyachio once again made no mistake from the tee, stretching Kenya’s advantage to 36-10.
Kenya’s defensive discipline remained equally impressive, forcing errors and penalties from a frustrated Uganda side. Although Nyachio narrowly missed a subsequent conversion attempt, Freshia Oduor crossed the whitewash for her second try of the match. Nyachio then slotted the extras to cap off a commanding performance as the Lionesses cruised to a convincing 43-10 victory.
The Kenya Lionesses delivered another emphatic performance, crushing Madagascar 57-0 in a one-sided encounter that underlined their growing stature in African women’s rugby.
The hosts ran in ten tries in a ruthless display of attacking rugby, leaving Madagascar with no answer to their pace, power, and precision. Nelly Chikombe, Stella Wafula, and Freshia Oduor each bagged a brace, while Faith Livoi, Maureen Moturi, and substitutes, Knight Owoma, and Edith Nariako, also crossed the whitewash as Kenya dominated from start to finish.
With their defense remaining impenetrable and their attack firing on all cylinders, the Lionesses sent a strong message to the rest of the continent. The commanding victory reinforced Kenya’s status as a powerhouse, a ghost to keep the opponents up at night gasping for air.
By Victor Ngugi
