Simon Odongo has named the final squad for the Kenya women's rugby 7s national team dubbed Kenya Lionesses, that will begin the second tier of the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Sevens Series ( HSBC SVNS 2), Nairobi leg this Saturday at Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi.
Speaking on Monday in Nairobi while unveiling the squad, national team coach Odongo was happy to give opportunities to two debutants, while at the same time emphasizing the need to win this second-tier circuit so that next season Kenya can be promoted to the elite first-tier rugby 7s HSBC SVNS 1
Rongo University student Marvel Oswago from Likoni Community Rugby and National Youth Service ( NYS ) Charity Nilla will be aiming to make history as first timers, after being named in a squad full of experienced players that will have Kenya Harlequin's coach Sheila Chajira as captain, assisted by Freshia Oduor.
Apart from Oswago and Nilla, who were selected after impressing in the Safari 7s, Odongo has basically maintained his charges that also featured last November in the 13th edition of the 2025 Africa women's 7s in Nairobi, and now, in addition to the two, his squad includes Naomi Amuguni, Moreen Muritu, Sinaida Nyachio, Edith Nariaka, Janet Okello, Grace Okulu, Stella Wafula, and Phoebe Akinyi.
Kenya begins their two-day assignment on Saturday, 9:44 am vs Brazil, followed by China at 12:46 pm and South Africa at 3:48 pm, while on Sunday, February 15th, Kenya will play Argentina at 11:44 am before wrapping up their home games against Spain at 3:56 pm.
The first leg of this HSBC SVNS 2 ends on Sunday, 15th, a Nairobi leg that has promised a thriller from rugby fans across the country, with the next leg of the series heading to Montevideo, Uruguay, 21-22 March 202,6 and finally concluding in Sao Paulo, Brazil six days later, from 28-29 March 2026.
The top four teams will be promoted to the SVNS World Championship, where they will meet the top eight teams from the SVNS Division 1 in the last three outings of the season in Hong Kong, Valladolid, and Bordeaux and from the 12 sides, teams that finish inside the top eight will get Division 1 tickets for the 2027 SVNS campaign.
