This archive report was first published on 15 July 2019.
Published on July 15, 2019, Kenya's national women's rugby team head coach Felix Oloo has emphasized the importance of upcoming World Cup qualification matches in South Africa.
Kenya dominated neighbors Uganda in the regional Elgon Cup, but Oloo believes there are more challenging tasks ahead. The team will face Uganda, Madagascar, and hosts South Africa to secure their spot at the Women's World Cup in New Zealand in 2021.
"What the Elgon Cup showed us was that Uganda have heavy forwards and they will be out to display their defensive play again when we meet. However, we are well prepared for this encounter," Oloo said in Nairobi on Monday.
Kenya won the 2019 Elgon Cup 79-19 on aggregate, after defeating Uganda 44-14 in the first leg in June in Nairobi. The team will play Madagascar on August 9, followed by Uganda on August 13, and South Africa on August 17.
The winner of the Africa Women's tournament in South Africa will qualify directly for the 2021 World Cup, while the runners-up will participate in a repechage tournament via a play-off against a side from South America.
"The easiest route to the World Cup is to win here in Africa. Going through the repechage is a taxing and hard road. It is better we hold our ground and clear this qualification hurdle at the continental level and build on it towards the global championship," Oloo added.
