Kenya Lionesses squad for Challenger Series revealed
Kenya Lionesses Head coach Dennis Mwanja has released his team that will feature in the World Sevens Challenger Series scheduled for Chile from 12-14 August.
The squad has fleet-footed winger Janet Okello who joined the Japanese side MIE Pearls Women’s Rugby Football Club in March 2022. The former Mwamba Rugby Club winger is joined in the travelling squad by Christabel Lindo, Grace Adhiambo, Naomi Amuguni and Ann Gorreti Ochieng among others.
Kenya Lionesses captain
The coach has picked Judith Auma as the captain for the campaign. Commenting on his squad, Mwanja said:
“We are coming from a background of rebuilding the team, and also there has been a lot of transition in the team. We’ve had to pick up the pieces but I’m glad I have seen a lot of positives in the team. This is a team that is determined, focused and working with a purpose.”
“We are looking forward to a very exciting tournament in Chile. The girls know what we can achieve.” He told KRU media.
12 women's and 12 men's teams qualified for this tournament through regional qualifications and will compete over three days at Estadio Santa Laura, with the event champions gaining the highly desired core position on the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2023.
The competition structure is similar to the Olympic Games, with the 12 teams divided into three pools of four teams each. The top two teams from each pool, as well as the two best third-placed teams, will advance to the quarter-finals, before the semi-finals and final determine the champions, who will get promotion to the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series.
Kenya Lionesses Pool
Kenya Lionesses are scheduled to face South Africa, China, and Chile in Pool D of the competition. Pool E has Poland, Belgium, Papua New Guinea, and Argentina. The final Pool has Japan, Kazakhstan, Colombia, and Mexico
The Lionesses will be eager to improve on their poor showing at the Rugby Africa Cup Women's 7s event in Tunisia. South Africa won the event while the Lionesses were knocked out in the quarterfinals following a 19-5 loss to Tunisia. The loss cost the Lionesses a place in the 2022 Rugby World Cup, which will be held in South Africa.
In Pool A of the men's pools, Chile is grouped alongside South Korea, Papua New Guinea, and Georgia. Hong Kong will compete in Pool B against Tonga, Jamaica, and Zimbabwe. While Germany are in Pool C alongside Uruguay, Uganda, and Lithuania.
The World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series is the second stage of the competition after the World Rugby Sevens Series. The men's and women's Challenger Series tours fight for promotion to the top tier as core teams.
The women's Challenger Series tournament for the 2020 season was announced as a stand-alone event to be held in South Africa. Due to the COVID-19 epidemic, World Rugby postponed the Challenger Series women's tournament on March 13, 2020, without rescheduling it.
As a consequence of the COVID-19 epidemic, Japan was promoted to the Men's World Rugby Sevens Series as the overall points leader in the Challenger Series. However, no women's team was promoted.
Kenya Lionesses Challenger Series Squad: Judith Auma (Captain), Laurine Otieno, Stellah Wafulah, Linet Moraa, Grace Okulu, Leah Wambui, Sinaida Nyachio, Jean Bisela, Janet Okello, Naomi Amuguni, Christabel Lindo, Ann Gorreti Ochieng
Management: Dennis Mwanja (Head Coach), Samuel Kimotho (Assistant Coach), Ben Mahinda (Physio), Camilyne Oyuayo (Team Manager)
