Lionesses narrowly fall to South Africa in Rugby Africa Women’s Cup

Buoyed by their impressive 28-5 win over hosts Madagascar in their opening match, the Lionesses entered the clash full of confidence, hoping to hand South Africa their first-ever loss in the tournament.

However, the Springbok Women, unbeaten in the competition since its inception in 2019, proved to be a tough challenge.

South Africa dominated the first half, applying early pressure that paid off with a try by Nomsa Mokwai in the 34th minute with the conversion having been missed. The defending champions went into halftime leading 12-0.

Kenya came out stronger in the second half, showing renewed determination and intensity. Despite being on the back foot, they matched South Africa’s pace and challenged their structure. However, a third South African try stretched the lead to 19-0.

The Lionesses, refusing to back down, mounted a late charge and crossed the line twice to bring the score to 19-12 with tries from Freshia Awino and Noleen Khaleyi, but time ran out before they could complete the comeback.

Despite the defeat, the Lionesses showed that they can compete with the continent’s best, earning praise for their resilience and tactical improvements in the second half.

Kenya now shift their attention to their final match of the tournament, a regional derby against East African rivals Uganda on Saturday, 14 June.

A win against the Lady Cranes would be a strong finish to their campaign and a further boost to the team’s development under the current coaching setup with chances of qualifying for the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia.