Kenya’s Lionesses are off to an amazing start at the Rugby Africa Women’s Cup as they defeated Madagascar 28-5 on Saturday June 7, 2025 at Stade Makis in Madagascar.
This comes as a redemption after their 29-22 loss to Madagascar in the same tournament last year. This win trailblazes and qualifies them to the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup in England.
Coach Mwanja had ensured that there was meticulous preparation for the game. The squad was extensively trained and prepared in an 11-day training session at Nairobi’s RFUEA Grounds, during which he carefully reduced the training group of more than 50 players to a strong team of 28 women.
“We’re not just playing for ourselves. We’re building a legacy,” he highlighted.
From the start of the game, the Lionesses showed dominance of keeping hold of the ball, putting a lot of pressure on Madagascar’s defense.
Phoebe Akinyi then scored the first try in the 15th minute, after a stretch of continuous offense, which was successfully converted by Sinaida Nyachio, giving Kenya a 7-0 lead.
Madagascar tried keeping up as just before the halftime, Hanitriniana Mamy scored bringing the score closer to 7–5. However, Sheila Wafula put Kenya back in the lead just before the end of the first half, making the score 12–5 at halftime.
During the second half, the Lionesses showed more of their tactical side as they chose to take penalty points whenever they could. Grace Okulu confidently made a penalty kick in the 48th minute, increasing the score to 15-5. Shortly after, she executed a perfect drop goal further boosting Kenya’s lead.
Madagascar struggled to handle Kenya’s ongoing pressure and lost the ball in their own territory, which gave Mooren Muritu the chance to score 23-5. Sinaida Nyachio then finished off the strong performance with a final try in the last few minutes, ensuring a fantastic 28-5 win for the Lionesses.
“Our discipline was key. Everyone stepped up when it mattered,” Captain Enid Ouma said after winning.
Fans are excited for the Lionesses as their next opponents are South Africa’s Springbok Women on June 11. They won against Uganda 62-7 in the same tournament opener.
