The Kenya Lionesses, the national women’s rugby sevens team, secured a 17-12 victory over Argentina to claim the first round of the Sevens Challenger Series at Athlone Stadium in Cape Town, South Africa.
Grace Okulu was exceptional, scoring the opening try and converting it for a 7-0 lead within the first three minutes.
Argentina responded with a try from Marianne Escalante, narrowing the deficit.
However, the Lionesses increased the pressure, with Judith Okumu scoring two more tries, putting the match out of Argentina’s reach.
Earlier, in the semi-final, Kenya had stunned the hosts, South Africa, with a 19-15 win.
Looking ahead, the Lionesses are aiming to maintain their strong form during the second round of the Challenger Series, which will take place next weekend at the same venue.
After the second round, the top eight teams will advance to the third and final tournament in April in Krakow, Poland.
The four teams with the highest cumulative points from the three rounds will secure spots in the HSBC Sevens Playoff in Los Angeles in May.
