Odongo urges Lionesses to set the tone in this weekend's World Division Two series

Kenya Lionesses' Judith Auma speeds past the Belgium defence in a past event/HANDOUT 

Kenya Lionesses interim coach Simon Odongo is demanding a flying start from his side as the World Rugby Sevens Division Two Series kicks off on Saturday at Nyayo Stadium.

Fresh from a week-long high-performance training camp in Alicante, Spain, Odongo is eager for a strong start on home soil, with further legs of the series scheduled for Uruguay and Brazil in March.

The tactician said the Lionesses will lean on experience gained last season, when they won two legs in South Africa and finished third in Krakow, Poland. “We have experience from last season, and that will help us on this journey,” said Odongo. “Our ultimate goal is to become a core team by the end of the season.”

The Lionesses’ bid for core-team status last year was derailed by changes to the World Rugby qualification format announced before the final leg in Los Angeles in May.

However, Odongo believes the setback has only strengthened his team’s resolve. “It made us mentally tougher. It was a decision beyond our control, but it has motivated us,” he said. “We now have another opportunity, and we want to hit the ground running from the first whistle.”

The Quins' assistant coach revealed that the team has worked on positional changes and tactical tweaks that could prove crucial over the two-day tournament. “There are aspects of our play we sharpened in Spain. Playing Belgium and the hosts was an eye-opener in several facets of the game,” Odongo noted.

Kenya have been drawn in Pool A alongside China and Spain, a challenge the coach acknowledged but welcomed. “They are two very strong teams, but we will take one game at a time.

With the backing of the home crowd, we are looking to perform,” he added. Pool B features Brazil, Argentina and South Africa. On the second day, teams from Pool A will face opponents from Pool B, with the semifinals and finals to follow.

The top four teams across the three Division Two legs and the Women’s Championship will join the eight World Rugby Sevens Series Division One teams in a three-leg World Championship, set for Hong Kong (April 17–19), Valladolid, Spain (May 29–31) and Bordeaux, France (June 5–7).

At the end of the series, the top eight teams will qualify for the 2026–2027 World Rugby Sevens Series, while the bottom four will be relegated to Division Two.