2025 REVIEW: Kenya Lionesses post marked improvement but South Africa remain stumbling block
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Reading Time: 5min | Fri. 26.12.25. | 16:21
From stunning back-to-back triumphs in South Africa to continued dominance over regional rivals Uganda, the Lionesses delivered one of their strongest sevens campaigns yet
The year 2025 will be remembered as a defining chapter in the story of the Kenya Lionesses. It has been a year marked by historic breakthroughs, fierce rivalries, growing depth, and clear signs that women’s rugby in Kenya is no longer knocking on the global door but pushing it wide open.
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From stunning back-to-back triumphs in South Africa to continued dominance over regional rivals Uganda, the Lionesses delivered one of their strongest sevens campaigns yet.
However, even amid the celebrations, familiar challenges, particularly in the 15s format, unpaid wages, and consistency against South Africa continue to remind us that the journey to sustained global competitiveness is still a work in progress.
Back-to-back champions in South Africa
Perhaps the most symbolic moment of the Lionesses’ 2025 campaign came in March, on enemy territory.
Competing in the HSBC SVNS Challenger Series in South Africa, Kenya achieved something they had never done before: winning back-to-back international tournament legs.
In the second leg held in Cape Town, the Lionesses produced a composed and ruthless display to thrash the host nation’s Lady Boks 17-0 in the final at Athlone Stadium.
The win came just a week after they had edged the same opponents 19-15 in a tense semifinal during the opening leg, before going on to lift the title.
With those results, Kenya topped the Challenger Series standings with 40 points heading into the third and final leg in Krakow, Poland.
The two victories served as long-awaited redemption for Kenya, who had repeatedly fallen short against South Africa in recent years.
In 2023, the Lady Boks denied the Lionesses a direct ticket to the Paris Olympics with a narrow 12-7 win. A year later, South Africa again proved too strong, beating Kenya 19-10 at the Africa Women's Sevens in Accra, Ghana.
2025 Challenger Series Champions
The Lionesses’ historic moment came when they clinched their first-ever international tournament title by winning the opening leg of the 2025 Challenger Series.
Their campaign was built on authority from the outset.
Kenya opened with a commanding 20-5 win over Samoa before dismantling Poland 29-7 to cruise into the semifinals. There, they faced familiar foes, South Africa, and once again managed a hard-fought 19-15 victory to book a place in the final.
Awaiting them were Argentina, but Kenya rose to the occasion, holding their nerve in a 17-12 victory to etch their names into history.
Mixed results against South Africa
Despite Kenya’s progress, South Africa remained the ultimate yardstick, and the rivalry delivered mixed outcomes throughout the year.
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After the two victories in Cape Town, the Lionesses’ momentum was checked in Krakow, Poland, where they fell 22-10 to the Lady Boks in the semifinals of the third Challenger Series leg.
The defeat was painful, but by then Kenya had already done enough to secure a place in the HSBC SVNS play-offs.
Qualifying for HSBC Division 2
Their resilience paid off in May during the play-off tournament in Los Angeles. The fearless Lionesses edged South Africa 17-14 in a high-stakes encounter to seal promotion to the HSBC SVNS Series Division II.
However, the final meeting of the year swung back in South Africa’s favour. At the Africa Women’s Sevens in Nairobi, a Cecil Afrika-coached Lady Boks side delivered a clinical 22-0 victory over Kenya in the final to claim a record 12th continental title and secure promotion to SVNS Division Three.
Regional dominance over Uganda
If South Africa tested Kenya’s ceiling, Uganda highlighted their regional supremacy.
The Lionesses faced Uganda’s Lady Cranes multiple times in 2025 and emerged victorious on every occasion.
It began with a narrow 10-5 win at the Challenger Series in Cape Town, followed by a tense 14-10 victory at the Safari 7s that sent Kenya into the final.
They met again in the Africa Women’s Sevens semifinals, where the Lionesses proved too composed, edging Uganda 17-10 in another nervy contest.
Kenya’s dominance extended beyond sevens. In the 15s game, the Lionesses delivered a ruthless performance to thrash Uganda 49-0 in their final Africa Women’s Cup match at Stade Makis in Antananarivo, Madagascar.
Reclaiming Safari 7s title
At home, the Lionesses reclaimed the Safari 7s title, edging Uganda 14-10 in a pulsating final to lift the trophy they had lost the previous year.
The victory, a repeat of the 2023 final, was fueled by home support and a clear hunger to restore dominance on Kenyan soil.
Hosting the Africa Women’s 7s
Later in the year, Kenya cemented its growing stature by successfully hosting the 2025 Africa Women’s Sevens Cup at the RFUEA Grounds in Nairobi.
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The tournament brought together 12 teams competing for continental honours and a place in the Challenger Series.
While South Africa emerged as champions, the event boosted Kenya’s profile significantly and paved the way for Nairobi to host a confirmed HSBC SVNS Division II leg in February 2026.
Players breaking new ground abroad
Away from the pitch, 2025 was also a year of individual breakthroughs.
Fly-half Grace Adhiambo Okulu signed a six-month deal with Japanese club Nagato Blue Angels, becoming the second Kenya Lionesses player, after Janet Okello, to feature in Japan.
Her stint coincided with the club’s local sevens season and further exposed Kenyan talent to professional environments.
Okello herself continued to make history, moving to Nagato Blue Angels for the 2025 season after previously starring for MIE Pearls.
She became the first Kenyan woman to switch Japanese clubs, further cementing her reputation as one of the country’s most marketable rugby exports.
Meanwhile, Stellah Wafula missed national duty while attending the Rhinos High-Performance Camp in the United States and South Africa, an elite development program designed to prepare players for professional and international rugby across formats.
Depth on display and the road ahead
One of the clearest indicators of progress came during the Safari 7s, where Kenya fielded three women’s teams: Lionesses, Cubs, and Mwamba Select. It was a bold statement of intent and depth.
Janet Okello lit up the tournament, scoring five tries and earning the Women’s Player of the Final award, while Edith Nariaka, Faith Livoi, Naomi Amuguni, and Sinaida Mokaya also delivered standout performances.
