The introduction of the women's Kenya Cup league will go a long way in aiding Lionesses to qualify for the Rugby World Cup in 2025, head coach Felix Oloo has said.
The tactician said the fact that women will be playing every weekend like their male counterparts will change the matrix in terms of fitness.
“We can now use the league to gauge the girls ahead of the global show. This is an opportunity for us to look at the combinations, setpiece, breakdown, and many other technical aspects of the game,” said Oloo.
Previously, the girls used to play in 10-a-side weekend festivals and Sevens tournaments, which were not regular.
"I don't see why we should not qualify for the next Rugby World Cup. We are now putting up structures in place and apart from the league, we need to see girls playing at primary and high school level,” he added.
Oloo said plans are underway to also have the Under-20 league for the Kenya Cup sides. The league kicked off last weekend with six teams in the race. They include Impala Saracens, Nakuru, Homeboyz, Northern Suburbs, Mwamba and Ruck It
The Lionesses missed out on World Cup for the 2022 edition after losing to Colombia in the playoff in August after going down 16-15 at Nyayo Stadium. Kenya are currently ranked second to South Africa on the continent.
“The gap between us and South Africa is small. We played twice this year and lost both games. However, I am encouraged by the performance of our girls who in the second match went toe-to-toe with them, losing 29-22. with more exposure and league matches, we can beat them,” said Oloo.
The Nakuru RFC tactician said they have given national team players plans on how to improve their game while playing for the clubs.
“There are several aspects of play the selectors will be looking at, starting with conditioning, skill work, and mental health,” noted Oloo.
