Roos and Co set sights on Africa Sevens

The BlitzBok Women are determined to rule Africa as they prepare to partake in the 2025 Africa Women’s Sevens Tournament in Kenya from Saturday, November 15 to Sunday, November 16.

The tournament is a qualifier for the World Rugby SVNS Division 3.

The past two editions of the Africa Women’s Sevens, in 2023 and 2024, have produced the same top three at the end of the tournament: South Africa, Kenya, Uganda – in that order.

The fuller version of the game followed the same pattern earlier this year in June, when South Africa clinched the 2025 Rugby Africa Women’s Cup 15s title in Madagascar, with Kenya finishing runners-up and Uganda coming in third.

Are we set to witness yet another duplicate finish involving the three titans at the top?

“As South Africa, we can only look at ourselves and our own preparations,” South Africa star player Nadine Roos told Rugby Africa Media.

“There is no doubt that the standard of women’s Sevens rugby in Africa is getting better and this tournament will prove that.”

Kenya ran the South Africans very close in the final of last year’s tournament in Ghana, with the record 12-time champions having to dig deep for a 19-10 victory to claim a fourth title in a row.

Hosting this time around, in front of a passionate home crowd at the RFUEA Grounds in Nairobi, Kenya’s Lionesses will have the extra push to roar to their second title in history and their first since 2018.

That means a potential clash with the BlitzBok Women along the way – perhaps in the final again.

Twenty-nine-year-old Roos, South Africa’s leading points scorer, wants to see her team take everything one step at a time.

“I cannot speak on Kenya’s behalf, they showed how capable they are with some very good results earlier in the year,” she remarked.

“We are certainly not looking at the final, we first need to make sure we do well in our pool and take good momentum into the knock-outs.”

 

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One thing is for sure, though – Kenya is eager to stamp authority on their home tournament.

Kenya Rugby Union Chairperson, Harriet Achieng Okach, aptly captures the mood in the hosts’ camp.

“Ah, the Lionesses!” she beamed with pride.

“They’ve been working quietly but relentlessly. Every year, we’ve inched closer, and last year’s final was proof that the gap is razor-thin. This time, we’re not just showing up to participate. We’re stepping onto that pitch with fire in our hearts and gold in our sights.

“They’ve had more competitive exposure, and a mindset shift. These women are not just athletes; they’re warriors. They know what’s at stake. It’s not just about lifting a trophy, it’s about inspiring a generation of girls who will watch and believe that they, too, can conquer Africa.

“The Lionesses’ goal is clear: bring it home. And I can promise you, they’re ready to give everything to make that happen.”

The 12-team tournament in Nairobi will be made up of four groups of three in the pool stages. Last year in Accra, 2012 Champions Tunisia finished fifth, below Madagascar. Everybody is looking to move up a gear in Nairobi, especially Uganda, who reckon they should have done better than their third-place finish last year.

“In Ghana last year we had a chance to finish in a better position than the third, unfortunately we arrived less than 24 hours before kick-off,” said Uganda’s coach Charles Onen.

“The team really performed well on day one but fatigue kicked in on day two and we lost two players to injury. From there things didn’t go well, but we had to redeem ourselves in the third-place play-off.

“This time around, we need to push ourselves, we’ve had some good tournaments since last year’s Africa Cup. We have spent some time improving our strength, skills and conditioning level. It has really changed a lot about our approach during games, the mental and physical toughness.”

Onen is hugely grateful for the support rendered to women’s rugby by Ugandan authorities, but they still need a lot more. The Lady Cranes gaffer knows exactly what his team should do to lobby for more resources.

“As the ladies, the only way to shield themselves is by performance,” says Onen. “Amidst challenges of financial instability, we are always putting up our level best to keep our programme alive so that the rest of the girls playing rugby in our country have something to work towards.”

The battle lines are drawn, and the teams can’t wait to land in Nairobi for what should be a cracker of a tournament.

“Our LOC [Local Organising Committee] is working around the clock to ensure that everything – from logistics and security to hospitality and fan engagement – is world-class,” declared KRU boss Achieng Okach.

“We want every player, official, and spectator to feel Kenya: our warmth, our passion for rugby, and our pride in being African. This isn’t just another tournament; it’s going to be an experience.”