Rugby Africa Women's Cup: Kenya Lionesses make changes ahead of South Africa duel

Kenya Lionesses head coach Paul Murunga has made changes to the squad that will be in action during their second Rugby Africa Women’s Cup clash against South Africa. The match will take place at the Stade Makis in Antananarivo.

Faith Livoi has been moved from the second row to the backline, starting at inside center as part of a midfield partnership with Esther Juma as Lewin Amazimbi does not feature in the match day squad.

Hesla Khisa, who came off the bench during Saturday’s match starts in the second row alongside Naomi Jelagat in an energetic pack that sees Enid Ouma move from the blindside to number eight.

Rugby Africa Women's Cup: Lionesses off to false start in Madagascar

Mitchelle Akinyi has been handed a start in the back row after coming on as a replacement on Saturday.

Diana Kemunto, a starter in the previous match, will come off the bench while Nolin Khaleyi and Hellen Anyango could make their first starts of the tournament after being named among the replacements.

This match kicks off at 1300 EAT.

These are changes necessitated by the Lionesses participation at the final round of the World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series set for 18-19 May in Krakow, Poland.

The Rugby Africa Women’s Cup which is being played on a round robin basis saw Kenya falling short 29-22 in their first match against Madagascar.

The Lionesses have a tough task ahead as they have to win the match in order to improve their chances to secure silver.

Their opponents Springboks on the other hand head to the match bolstered by their 55-0 victory over Cameroon in their opening match. They will be looking to extend their dominance over the Kenyans.

The Rugby Africa Women’s Cup holds significant implications for the region, with the champions securing a direct berth to RWC 2025.

This competition marks a milestone in the evolution of women’s rugby, underpinned by enhanced competition structures, high-performance pathways, and a streamlined qualification process, poised to propel the sport to unprecedented heights.

Lionesses squad to face South Africa

15. Diana Omosso, 14. Diana Awino, 13. Esther Juma, 12. Faith Livoi, 11. Terry Ayesa, 10. Anne Ochieng, 9. Winnie Awino, 1. Rose Otieno, 2. Knight Otuoma, 3. Natasha Emali (C ), 4. Naomi Jelagat, 5. Hesla Khisa, 6. Mitchelle Akinyi, 7. Maureen Chebet, 8. Enid Ouma

REPLACEMENTS 16. Mitchelle Atieno, 17. Jane Chanya, 18. Sheilah Wesa, 19. Nolin Khaleyi, 20. Diana Kemunto, 21. Mitchelle Alivitsa, 22. Hellen Anyango, 23. Carol Nyamwamu