Uganda stun Kenya in final play to claim first-ever Rugby Africa Women's Sevens title

Uganda won the Rugby Africa Women’s Sevens championship for the first time in their history on Sunday, defeating Kenya 19-14 in a stunning semi-final before routing Tunisia 33-0 in the final at the RFUEA Grounds in Nairobi — booking their place at the HSBC SVNS 3 tournament in Dubai in the process.

The Lady Cranes entered the weekend as underdogs against a Kenya Lionesses side that had beaten them 22-5 in the Safari Sevens just a month earlier and arrived in Nairobi fresh from winning gold at the Youth Olympics rugby sevens in Dakar. The hosts were widely regarded as the favourites to claim the continental title and the Dubai berth that came with it.

In the semi-final, Uganda struck first through tries to Grace Nabugala and Peace Lekuru to lead 12-7 at the break, only for Kenya’s Jane Okello to score and give the hosts a late lead in the second half. With the match seemingly slipping away, Lekuru crossed again in the final play of the game to seal a 19-14 victory that silenced the home crowd.

Uganda then showed no signs of fatigue in the final, running in a dominant 33-0 win over Tunisia to secure the championship. It was a result that marked an enormous step forward for women’s rugby in the country and ends the year with Uganda as Africa’s sole representative at SVNS 3.

For Tunisia, reaching the final represented their best finish in the tournament since 2013, a significant milestone for a program that has been rapidly developing across the continent.

Kenya recovered to beat Zimbabwe 27-7 in the bronze medal match, but the failure to qualify for Dubai left head coach Simon Odongo reflective. “It was a tough loss, especially with Uganda scoring the winner with the last play of the game,” Odongo told The Star. “It hurt, but those are the margins of sevens rugby. They are very small, and we have to be better equipped next time around.”

Odongo remained optimistic about the Lionesses’ long-term prospects, pointing to the volume of young talent pushing through the squad. “The girls are disappointed, but the future is bright for this team, especially with the many young faces coming through and giving the established players competition. We will be back to reclaim our crown very soon.”

South Africa Women’s ‘A’ side endured a difficult weekend, finishing sixth after a 17-12 defeat to Zambia, while Zambia’s win marked a notable result for a nation continuing to grow its presence in continental women’s rugby.