Africa’s Top Women’s Rugby Teams Clash In Nairobi With Title And Survival On The Line
South Africa target a fifth crown, Kenya aim to go one better at home, while Uganda and Madagascar fight to stay in the top tier as the 2026 Rugby Africa Women’s Cup kicks off in Nairobi. (fixtures and streaming information available below)
NAIROBI, Kenya –The 2026 Rugby Africa Women’s Cup Performance Division kicks off this weekend at the RFUEA Ground in Nairobi, from 23–31 May.
South Africa women’s national rugby union team — the record four-time champions of Africa’s premier women’s rugby competition — are back in pursuit of a fifth title.
The Springbok Women are the only champions in the history of the tournament, which was established in 2019 but was not staged between 2020 and 2023 due to the coronavirus pandemic and changes in format.
Although they have brought an experimental side to Nairobi, with the intention of giving newer and fringe players valuable game time in a competitive environment, the South Africans are still aiming to assert their authority on the tournament.
Captain Anathi Qolo is among the senior players tasked with striking a balance between newcomers and experienced internationals.
The lock forward is one of nine players in the squad who featured for South Africa at the 2025 Women’s World Cup in England. An equal number — nine players — will be making their Springbok Women debuts in Kenya.
Additionally, eight players in the South Africa squad in Nairobi have represented the Springbok Women before but did not make last year’s World Cup squad.
The South Africans are not only broadening opportunities within the playing group. Head coach Swys de Bruin has not travelled to Kenya, opting to remain in South Africa to continue working with a group of experienced Springbok Women players who were deliberately and strategically left out of the Kenya tour.
In De Bruin’s absence, assistant coaches Laurian Johannes-Haupt and Franzel September will take charge in Nairobi. “We are repeating the exercise that worked well for us last season,” De Bruin explained in a statement released by SA Rugby Media.
“We see this tournament as a perfect opportunity to blood new players and give some capped players proper game time, while for Laurian and Franzel, these three Test matches are ideal to gain experience.
“The Africa Cup squad will broaden our base, some players will get more Test experience, while at the same time, I can work with a core of senior players at home to get some match detail for USA and the Black Ferns (New Zealand) done.”
South Africa will open their campaign against last year’s hosts Madagascar on Saturday, a side they overwhelmed 61–17 in the final game of the 2025 tournament as the Bok Women sealed their third consecutive title.
Madagascar went on to finish bottom of the table after suffering three defeats against South Africa, Kenya, and Uganda.Star Madagascar player Felaniaina Jeannie Rakotoarison is eager to see improvement from the Lady Makis in Nairobi.
“Rugby is our country’s most popular sport, what we do on the rugby field makes a lot of people proud back home,” she said.
“So while we didn’t do so well last year, we always strive to do better the next time and that’s exactly what we have come here in Kenya to do.”
Hosts Kenya women’s national rugby union team, last year’s runners-up, on Wednesday named their 28-member squad, co-captained by bruising forward Natasha Emali and gifted utility back Judith Okumu.
Kenya Lionesses coach Simon Odongo told local media in Nairobi during the squad unveiling ceremony that his team is well prepared, expressing satisfaction with the blend of 15s specialists and players drawn from the Sevens set-up.
“We had a squad of 40 players in training since March and it has been whittled down to 28 for the championship,” Odongo said.
“We currently have the Sevens players in camp, and I think that is a big milestone for us because next year will be crucial with both the World Cup and Olympic qualifiers coming up. This build-up period is therefore very important for both the 15s and Sevens teams.”
This year’s Rugby Africa Women’s Cup marks the beginning of the qualification pathway to the 2029 Women’s Rugby World Cup in Australia, while the Sevens players will also be fine-tuning their preparations for qualification for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
Kenya finished second to continental powerhouse South Africa last year in Madagascar, losing narrowly 19–12 in a courageous performance by the Lionesses.
The Kenyans are aware of the Bok Women’s threat, but playing at home in Nairobi — energised by a passionate and partisan RFUEA Ground crowd — they will be hoping to finally turn the tables.
“Against South Africa (in 2025), we lost by just seven points, and I believe they were the only team we lost to last year. Having featured at the World Cup, they will definitely be a formidable side,” Odongo said.
“For us, the focus is on taking our chances better and reducing the margin. If we can convert our opportunities and force a clinical game, that would be positive. The challenge now is ensuring consistency, not only against Uganda and Madagascar, but also against South Africa.”
Meanwhile, Uganda women’s national rugby union team, like in 2025, are the fourth side in this year’s tournament.
They finished third out of four in Antananarivo a year ago, with their 24–20 win over hosts Madagascar sandwiched between heavy defeats by South Africa and Kenya.
The Lady Cranes played in the 2025 top-tier competition following their promotion from Rugby Africa Women’s Cup Division One, and they are determined to avoid relegation and remain in the top flight.
“Last year, we were promoted to the top tier after beating Ivory Coast, Zimbabwe, and Tunisia,” assistant coach Charles Onen told Ugandan reporters.
“It was a very good feeling being back in the top tier. This is where Uganda is supposed to be playing. Here is where you gauge yourself against the top-performing countries like Kenya, South Africa, and, currently, Madagascar.”
It is a high-stakes tournament for the lower-ranked sides in Nairobi. A slip-up could see Tunisia take the bottom team’s place for 2027, with the North Africans having recently gained promotion to the Performance Division for next year.
“With the four teams, this time round it is different from last year because last year we just had a go from the Division One, but this time there is going to be relegation,” Onen acknowledged.
“As we speak, Tunisia qualified for the top division. Whoever comes fourth in this competition will be relegated.
“That is something we need to look at as a team because we are going to this competition first of all to make sure we stay in the top division, and then we won one game last year, so this time we are pushing to see how many games we can win.”
To Access Tickets: Click Here
Where to watch?
Rugby Africa Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RugbyAfrique
RugbyPass TV: https://rugbypass.tv
Match Day 1: Saturday 23 May 2026 (Local Kenya Time/EAT)
- 14:00 – South Africa vs Madagascar
- 16:00 – Kenya vs Uganda
Match Day 2: Wednesday 27 May 2026 (Local Kenya Time/EAT)
- 14:00 – South Africa vs Uganda
- 16:00 – Kenya vs Madagascar
Match Day 3: Sunday 31 May 2026 (Local Kenya Time/EAT)
- 14:00 – Uganda vs Madagascar
- 16:00 – South Africa vs Kenya
Access Copyright Free Images: Click Here
Written by Enock Muchinjo
