Kenya Lionesses coach wary of South Africa ahead of Rugby Africa tournament in Nairobi

Kenya Lionesses head coach Simon Odongo has sounded a note of caution ahead of the 2026 Rugby Africa Women's Cup Performance Division tournament.

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The tactician acknowledged the threat posed by reigning champions South Africa as Kenya prepares to host the continental showpiece at the RFUEA Grounds.

The tournament, scheduled from Thursday, 21 to Sunday, 31 May, will bring together four of Africa’s top women’s rugby nations: Kenya, South Africa, Uganda, and Madagascar in a high-stakes battle for regional supremacy and valuable ranking points.

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Kenya will head into the competition with confidence, buoyed by home support and familiarity with conditions at the RFUEA Grounds in Nairobi. The Lionesses finished second in the previous edition and will be targeting a step up to the top of the podium this time.

Their campaign begins on Saturday, 23 May, with a regional derby against Uganda, before facing Madagascar on Wednesday, 27 May. The final and potentially decisive fixture will see Kenya lock horns with defending champions South Africa on Sunday, 31 May.

South Africa arrive as the team to beat after a dominant run in the previous edition of the Rugby Africa Women’s Cup, where they sealed the title with a commanding 61–17 win over Madagascar, completing a perfect campaign.

The Springbok Women have continued their rise on the global stage, having secured qualification for the 2025 Rugby World Cup before making history in England by reaching the quarter-finals.

Despite Kenya’s ambition, Odongo has been quick to acknowledge the challenge ahead, particularly against the tournament favourites.

“Preparations are progressing well so far. We currently have 35 women in camp, including the Sevens players, and I think that is a big milestone for us because next year will be crucial with both the World Cup and Olympic qualifiers coming up.

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This build-up period is therefore very important for both the 15s and 7s teams,” Odongo said.

He also stressed the importance of game time and consistency as Kenya fine-tunes its preparations.

“We are also looking at the upcoming legs where the ladies are expected to participate in all the fixtures.

Hopefully, the teams will honour all their matches because we need as many games as possible to prepare adequately and achieve match fitness ahead of the qualification phase for the upcoming events,” he offered.

Speaking on the South Africa challenge, Odongo was realistic about the size of the task at hand, but believes the gap can be closed.

“Against South Africa, we lost by just five points, and I believe they were the only team we lost to last year. Having featured at the World Cup, they will definitely be a formidable side.

For us, the focus is on taking our chances better and reducing the margin. If we can convert our opportunities and perhaps even force a draw, that would be positive, but we will give our very best,” he said.

“The challenge now is ensuring consistency, not only against Uganda and Madagascar, but also against reigning champions South Africa,” he added.

Preliminary Fixture Focus (May 2026)

May 23: Kenya vs. Uganda

May 27: Kenya vs. Madagascar

May 31: Kenya vs. South Africa