Nairobi — National women's rugby 15s team coach Dennis 'Ironman' Mwanja is looking for continuous improvement when they face Madagascar in a test match at the RFUEA Grounds on Friday.
Mwanja says the duel is one of a wider plan to upgrade women's rugby in the country.
"This match is not about helping Madagascar but also helping the Lionesses to stay relevant. Despite not qualifying for the WXV 3, Kenya Rugby has a vision to improve the women's game. We have to continue playing at a top level so as to improve on our skills and our abilities. We are excited about this game...it's always a close encounter against Madagascar," Mwanja said.
The coach is further optimistic of more matches for Lionesses to get them the baptism by fire required to refine them into a top team.
"We have negotiated with World Rugby on the development of women's rugby through more friendlies coming our way. These will help the team remain intact and relevant. We also have a good set of younger players who are part of the bigger squad. We are looking at a realistic age range of 18-23 years...we even have two players from Hidden Talent Academy. We are looking at developing women's rugby outside Nairobi and with the expansion of the league (Kenya Cup) from next season, we expect to see an increase in the depth of players in the country," explained.
For all the grand plans, it is not lost on Mwanja about the impact of financial constraints on organisation of as many friendlies as possible.
Nonetheless, the gaffer is optimistic about the increase of women's rugby clubs in the Kenya Cup.
"I would say it is a combination of many factors: one, being an African setup...it has taken a while for women's rugby to be embraced and the introduction of the 7s at the schools is a step in the right direction. With more awareness, you'd have more people playing in the league and this will encourage more investors to come into the game. It is a good thing the union has passed a rule requiring all Kenya Cup teams to have women's team from next season," he said.
Revenge mission?
Mwanja has named a 23-ladies team for the Madagascar match.
The Indian Ocean islanders are using the game as preparations for their debut WXV 3 campaign in Dubai.
They qualified for the global competition after finishing second at May's Rugby Africa Cup in Madagascar where they beat Kenya 29-22 in their first match.
Mwanja concedes they could have done better in that loss to the Lady Makis, which ultimately cost Kenya a second-ever appearance at the WXV 3 .
"We learnt lessons about game management because at the last minute we still had the chance to wind down the clock and take the points. We were also not as fit and at par...it would be great help if we had camps for the rugby 15s. We played in the wrong zones because we ended up burning a lot of energy playing in our half. We should have been playing in the green zone but we played in the red which was our 22," he observed.
Among those who will line up for the Lionesses is Impala's Sheila Chajira and Judith Auma, both of who starred in the just-concluded National Sevens Circuit (NSC).
The coach believes their experience and match readiness will come in handy.
"There is no substitute for experience so with that experience we will be more confident getting into the field. It also uplifts the spirits of the other players because sometimes one player makes a big difference in the team. This is the spirit that the 7s players will impart on the team," he said.
Making their debuts in the squad are Ann Njeri and Diana Mideva.
The match kicks off at 3 pm.
1) Natasha Emali (c)
2) Naomi Muhanji
3) Rose Atieno
4) Naomi Jelagat
5) Chebet Maureen
6) Diana Kemunto
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7) Enid Ouma
8) Sheila Chajira(c)
9) Edith Nariaka
10) Grace Okulu
11) Terry Ayesa
12) Stella Wafula
13) Maureen Muritu
14) Freshia Awino
15) Sinaida Mokaya
16) Mitchell Akinyi
17) Sheila Wesa
18) Diana Mideva
19) Noleen Khaleyi
20) Hellen Achieng
21) Judith Auma
22) Faith Livoi
23) Ann Njeri
