Kenya's Rising Lionesses wrote a new chapter for Kenyan rugby on Tuesday evening, beating Australia 17-12 after sudden-death extra time to win the women's sevens gold medal at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Senegal.

The result handed Team Kenya its first gold of the Games, which run from 31 October to 13 November and are the first Youth Olympics to be staged on African soil. It was also sweet revenge: Australia had beaten the same Kenyan side 17-5 in their final pool match only hours earlier.

How the final unfolded

Australia struck first after a miscued Kenyan kick-off handed them early possession, but captain Zain Hido pounced on a loose ball at a ruck to dive over and level the match at 5-5 by half-time.

The Australians regained the lead early in the second half, cutting through the Kenyan defence from deep inside their own half for a try under the posts that made it 12-5. Mitchel Abuga was held up just short of the line as Kenya pressed for a response.

The turning point came with 25 seconds left when Australia were reduced to six players by a yellow card. Kenya kept the ball patiently through the phases and Josephine Kerubo crossed in the corner. Diana Wanjiku's conversion squared the match at 12-12 and forced extra time.

In sudden death, Australia knocked on from the restart and Kenya made them pay, Mitchell Chemtai racing over for the try that ended the contest at 17-12 and sparked wild celebrations among the Kenyan contingent.

Road to the final

  • Pool stage: beat China 12-5 and hosts Senegal 19-0, then lost 17-5 to Australia.
  • Semi-final: beat Madagascar 15-5, with Abuga scoring two tries.
  • Final: beat Australia 17-12 after sudden-death extra time.

'Kenya is proud of you'

Sports Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya had hailed the team after the semi-final win, describing the run to the final as "a proud milestone for Kenyan rugby and a powerful testament to the growing strength of our young sporting talent on the international stage".

"Hongera Rising Lionesses! Kenya is proud of you," he said, before the final confirmed the gold.

Kenya's senior men's sevens side, Shujaa, have long been the face of Kenyan rugby abroad, and the senior women, the Lionesses, qualified for the Paris 2024 Olympics. The under-18 girls' triumph in Dakar is the first time a Kenyan rugby team has stood on the top step of an Olympic-level podium, and it comes as the Kenya Rugby Union pushes to widen its women's development pathway.

Rugby sevens is one of 25 sports at the Dakar Games. Kenya's Baseball5 team has also been in medal contention this week after wins over France and Mexico, while the country's young track and field athletes are still to compete.

Photos: Citizen Digital; Capital FM (courtesy). Thumbnail design: HAMASTA MEDIA.