How Kenya and Madagascar Made Rugby Sevens History for African Women at Dakar 2026

Kenya’s all-women coaching staff took a group of natural wingers and reshaped them into a squad capable of overturning a deficit to claim Olympic gold. As Madagascar’s players juggled schoolwork with training on their way to a landmark bronze, both sides demonstrated what it takes to stand on a rugby sevens podium.

Before departing for the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, every member of Kenya’s girls’ rugby sevens squad set down in writing what she hoped to accomplish. The target was identical for all of them.

“Before we left for Dakar, every player had written down her goal, and it was to win gold,” Kenya coach Knight Otuoma said in Dakar.

“In our opening match I was tense, even as a former player myself, but the girls were so composed that everything came easily.”

The Rising Lionesses delivered on that promise, beating Australia — among the tournament favourites — 17–12 in extra time. No African team had ever won rugby sevens gold at either the Olympic Games or the Youth Olympic Games. It was Kenya’s first medal of the Dakar Games, the country’s first Olympic gold in a team sport, and the first time a Kenyan rugby side had topped the podium at a major global championship.

The final proved an ordeal for Otuoma and her players. Darci Mackay put Australia ahead before Kenya captain Zain Hido touched down to level the score at 5–5 by the interval. Grace Buchanan crossed after the restart and Billie Backus converted to stretch Australia’s lead to 12–5.

“When we were trailing in that final, I reminded the team where most of us come from and the hardships we have lived through,” captain Hido said. “We did not need any pep talk from the coach. We understood this was a moment that could change our lives.”

With the clock expired, Josphine Kerubo scored for Kenya and Diana Wanjiku converted to draw level at 12–12 and send the match to sudden death. Two minutes into the extra period, Mitchelle Chemtai finished in the corner to complete a dramatic 17–12 win.

“It is still difficult to take in,” said Chemtai, who took up the sport only three years ago when she started high school. “This victory moved my parents to tears because they have witnessed my struggles. They never lost faith in me, and I believe there is now a real chance of scholarships and contracts that could transform our lives.”

Kenya began with a 12–5 win over China, then thrashed hosts Senegal 19–0 to reach the semi-finals with a pool fixture still to play. A 17–5 loss to Australia closed out their pool campaign, before a 15–5 semi-final victory over Madagascar set up a rematch with the Australians.

Preparing the Rising Lionesses for Dakar meant discovering what each athlete was capable of away from her usual role.

“Ninety per cent of these girls arrived as wingers, so as a coach I had to look for other qualities and strengths to work out where else they could play. We drilled them until it all clicked,” Otuoma said.

Understanding her players’ circumstances, she added, and leading an entirely female coaching staff mattered just as much. The squad consisted of students aged 16 and 17, many from low-income households who depended on rugby scholarships to remain in education.

Kenya assembled for camp in the second week of September, giving Otuoma nearly two months with the group before the Games. Her aim was to make the players comfortable enough to ask for what they required.

“As a female coach with an all-female technical team, they could talk to us about personal matters — whether they needed soap, sanitary pads, or wanted something different to eat — things they would not normally raise with a male coach,” she said.

Such exchanges brought the squad closer together. Otuoma went further still, distributing sticky notes each day so players could flag anything they found too awkward to say aloud.

“Most of the girls could not open up to me face to face, but they were comfortable writing their concerns down. Every morning I would read them and respond,” said the former Kenya international.

Chemtai, scorer of the gold-medal try, said the rapport built with the coaching staff gave the players self-belief.

“It was so easy to share our problems with her… she made us feel important. That gave us confidence, and we did not want to let her down,” said the 16-year-old.

Otuoma also uncovered what some of her most reserved players were capable of on the field.

“We have two very shy girls who rarely say a word, but once they stepped onto the pitch they were the quickest players we had and the most fearless in the tackle,” she said.

One of them was Elizabeth Naliaka. The 17-year-old arrived in Dakar intent on completing her schooling, turning professional and forcing her way into Kenya’s senior squad.

“I hope to break into the senior team soon and help them qualify for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics,” she said.

In Kenya, men’s rugby commands the bulk of the funding and the most lucrative contracts while the women’s game trails, but the triumphant Youth Olympic squad believe they have made the case for that to change.

“We want to be treated equally, if not better, because we are the first Kenyan team to win an Olympic gold medal,” Diana Wanjiku said.

“Invest in us properly and we will produce more. Most of us finish high school shortly, and we do not want to fall by the wayside afterwards. There has to be a structured route through to the senior team so we can help them qualify for the LA 2028 Olympics and the World Cup.”

Madagascar, too, had a milestone to mark. Their solitary defeat in Dakar came against Kenya in the semi-finals, after which they beat Czechia 26–10 to take bronze — the country’s first medal at either the Olympic Games or the Youth Olympic Games.

For Madagascar captain Tracy Ftiavananomenjanahary, the bronze recognised the hours she and her team-mates had invested in rugby alongside their studies.

“It is incredible,” the 17-year-old said. “This medal belongs to the country. We worked so hard, because we had to balance training with our schoolwork.”

“None of us came to Dakar expecting a medal. We grew stronger with every win, and now our families at home are delighted,” Princia Ranaivoson said.

Tunisia were Africa’s sole entrants in the girls’ competition at Nanjing 2014 and Buenos Aires 2018, the only previous editions to include rugby sevens, finishing sixth on both occasions.

At the first Youth Olympic Games staged on African soil, Kenya and Madagascar claimed two of the three podium places in the girls’ rugby sevens event — a hint of how the balance of power in the sport may shift as this generation progresses into the senior ranks.

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