After a thrilling and dominant performance in the first leg of the HSBC Challenger Series, the Kenya Lionesses now turn their focus to the second leg, set for March 7-8 in Cape Town, South Africa.
The Lionesses, fresh off their historic first-ever international tournament victory, will face familiar rivals Uganda and European contenders Belgium in Pool A as they continue their journey towards HSBC SVNS qualification.
Lionesses’ Historic First-Leg Triumph
Kenya heads into the tournament as defending champions, having clinched the first leg of the 2025 Challenger Series. In a thrilling final, the Lionesses defeated Argentina 17-12 to secure their maiden international title.
Kenya Lionesses celebrating their historic HSBC Challenger Series victory.[photo: Official KRU/X]
Coach Dennis Mwanja’s Reaction
Head Coach Dennis Mwanja praised the team’s mental toughness and resilience throughout the competition:
“The pool games were not as easy as they seemed, but the ladies showed great determination, winning all their matches. The semi-final against South Africa was a mental battle, and after beating them on their home soil, we knew nothing could stop us. The final was physically manageable, but mentally, complacency set in. However, we pushed through and secured the victory.
Now, we are focused on another podium finish this weekend. This is a massive milestone for the team, as we have never achieved such a feat before. This might be the best Lionesses team ever.”
Road to HSBC SVNS Play-Offs
The Kenya Lionesses must finish among the top eight teams after the first two rounds to advance to the next stage of the Challenger Series, scheduled for April 11-12 in Krakow, Poland.
At the conclusion of the Krakow round, the top four ranked teams will earn a spot in the HSBC SVNS play-off tournament in Los Angeles on May 3-4, where they will compete for a place in the elite HSBC SVNS circuit.
