Kenya Lionesses Faith Livoi fends off an Uganadan player during a recent international match/HANDOUTKenya Lionesses have begun a week-long training camp at Kasarani Stadium as they step up preparations for the Rugby Africa Women’s Cup, scheduled for May 23–31 at the RFUEA Grounds.
Head coach Simon Odongo said the camp will be key in refining different aspects of the team’s play as they aim to mount a strong challenge for the title and end defending champions South Africa’s dominance.
Odongo, who has added Oilers assistant coach Simon Odongo to his technical bench, described the camp as “robust and intense,” noting that they will focus on executing the team’s game plan, particularly in attack and defence.
“We had an alignment camp in March to tell the players what areas we need to work on, and this camp will be about executing our game plan, working on our attack game and defensive patterns alongside other areas,” said Odongo.
The Quins assistant coach also pointed out that competition for places in the squad remains high as final selection approaches.
“We have a squad of 40 players in training since March and it will be whittled down to 28 for the championship. From the first camp, the players are putting their hands up in training and with ten days to go, we will see who makes the final team,” he added.
The Lionesses, runners-up in the last two editions held in Madagascar, will open their campaign against regional rivals Uganda, before facing a fast-paced Madagascar side and concluding their group fixtures against reigning champions South Africa.
Odongo said the team will take each match at a time, starting with a tough opener against Uganda.
“We have a tough derby test against Uganda in our opening match. Madagascar are a quality side with very fast backs and an expansive game, while South Africa are a complete team with strong emphasis on set-piece and territory,” he noted.
He added that the tournament will also serve as part of a longer-term plan aimed at preparing the squad for the 2029 Rugby World Cup in Australia, while also opening opportunities for quality build-up matches after the competition.
“It allows us to build a team that can go to the biggest tournament in three years, and at the same time explore opportunities to play quality build-up matches after this tournament,” he said.
