Kenya’s Rising Lionesses beat Australia, making history with rugby gold at Dakar Youth Olympics

Kenya’s Rising Lionesses beat Australia, making history with rugby gold at Dakar Youth Olympics

Kenya’s journey to the final began with a 12-5 victory over China before the team produced an impressive 19-0 win against hosts Senegal to strengthen their position in Pool A.

Kenya’s Rising Lionesses claimed a historic rugby gold medal at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games after beating Australia 17-12 in a dramatic women’s rugby sevens final in Senegal on Tuesday.

The closely fought contest went into extra time before the Kenyan youngsters found a way past their rivals to secure the country’s first gold medal at the Games.

Hido Zain, Josephine Kerubo and Mitchelle Chentai scored Kenya's three tries, with Dian Wanjiku adding one conversion.

Australia replied through tries by Darci Mackay and Grace Buchanan, while Billie Backus converted once, but their efforts were not enough to prevent Kenya from securing a 17-12 victory.

The victory was particularly sweet for the Lionesses, who had lost 17-5 to Australia in their final Pool A match earlier in the day.

However, they bounced back when it mattered most, turning the tables on the same opponents to finish their campaign at the top of the podium.

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Kenya’s journey to the final began with a 12-5 victory over China before the team produced an impressive 19-0 win against hosts Senegal to strengthen their position in Pool A.

Evalyne Afande and Micheal Mmboga scored the tries that helped Kenya overcome China in their opening match. Afande, who plays for Kinale Girls, the national school rugby champions, was among the promising youngsters who played a key role in the team's campaign.

Despite their impressive start, the Lionesses suffered a setback against Australia, going down 17-5 in their last pool match. The defeat, however, did little to derail their ambitions.

They responded with a determined display in the semi-finals, defeating Madagascar 15-5 to book their place in the gold medal match and set up another meeting with Australia.

The final provided an opportunity for redemption, and the Kenyan side made full use of it.

The triumph marks a major achievement for Kenyan rugby, particularly the women's game, and underlines the growing potential of the country's young players on the international stage.

Kenya's gold medal also lifted the country to second place among African nations at the Games, behind South Africa, which has a total of five medals.