Lionesses and Cubs will represent Kenya in the women's category of the Safari Sevens tournament slated for October 11-13 in Machakos.
Kenya Rugby Union (KRU) vice-chairman Moses Ndale said the Lionesses will be a mix of 15's and the Sevens players while the Cubs will be a development side.
"We expect the two teams to be competitive if the girls' 15s side performance in Madagascar is anything to go by. On their day, they can be a match for anyone.
"Our second-tier team, the Cubs, will have young players and will be aiming to do the country proud. I believe competition for both teams will be quite intense,” added Ndale
Other women's teams who have confirmed participation include Uganda, Zimbabwe, Tunisia, Tropic sevens, Spanish Barbarians and Shogun Rugby.
Ndale said they were speaking to World Sevens Series core team Spain to grace the three-day rugby extravaganza in the men's category.
“We are in contact with them to see if they will take part in the event having them will be a big plus and it will spice up the tournament
The men's category had attracted Africa Sevens champions Uganda, Zimbabwe, Qatar, Shogun Rugby, Tropic Sevens, Mayotte, defending champions Shujaa, Morans and National Sevens Series champions Quins.
On why the tournament will played in Machakos away from the traditional RFUEA ground, Ndale said they were keen to grow the sport to other counties.
“We want to make this sport national and enable other regions to embrace the sport. We already have Sevens tournaments being played in Kisumu, Kakamega and Nakuru. In the long term, you will see Safari Sevens being hosted by other cities," said Ndale.
Ndale said they are in touch with the County Government of Machakos to spruce the stadium's playing surface as well as training venues alongside traffic flow.
“We have had engagements with them in the last couple of days and this week we are scheduled to have a meeting with the Machakos County Governor Wavinya Ndeti. I am confident we will be ready for the start of the tournament."
The tournament received a shot in the arm with sponsorship of Sh 22 million from East Africa Breweries Limited through its flagship brand Tusker
KBL managing director Mark Ocitti confirmed that Tusker will also be the official beverage partner for the event.
Ocitti praised the longstanding relationship between Tusker and Kenya Rugby, noting its mutual benefits over the years.
“It’s an honour to be part of this. We truly value this relationship that has lasted for 30 years. The partnership between Tusker and Kenya Rugby has grown to a point where it’s hard to talk about rugby without mentioning Tusker,” he remarked.
