The Kenya women’s national rugby team, the Kenya Lionesses, suffered a heartbreaking 24-7 defeat to China in the Monaco repechage, dashing their hopes of qualifying for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
China took an early lead with a try just three minutes into the match. Janet Akello managed to equalize for the Lionesses, bringing the score to 7-7. However, China secured another unconverted try before halftime, leading 12-7.
In the second half, China extended their lead with two more tries, while the Kenya Lionesses, despite efforts from players like Judith Okumu, Sharon Auma, and Grace Okulu, were unable to capitalize on their chances.
The Lionesses had shown promise earlier in the tournament, topping Pool D with a dominant 31-5 victory over Samoa and a narrow 19-17 win against Argentina. These wins secured their spot in the quarter-finals, where they defeated Argentina again with a convincing 31-5 scoreline.
Moving to the semi-finals, the Lionesses faced a tough challenge against the Czech Republic but managed to secure a narrow 12-10 victory, setting up a final showdown against China with an Olympic berth on the line.
Despite their strong performance throughout the tournament, the Kenya Lionesses fell short in the crucial final match, missing out on qualifying for the Olympics for the third consecutive time.
Kenya’s representation in the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris, France, will be through the men’s rugby sevens team, Shujaa. The women’s rugby sevens Olympic lineup includes teams like New Zealand, Australia, Ireland, and the USA, who qualified as the top four teams through the 2023 World Series.
Hosts France also qualify automatically. Additionally, Brazil, Canada, Great Britain, South Africa, Fiji, and Japan earned their spots through regional qualifying tournaments. Together, these teams will compete in the women’s rugby sevens competition at the Olympics.
