Kenya’s First Female Rugby Coach Leads Shujaa to Pacific Nations Cup Semis

by KenyaPolls

Elizabeth Liz Wambui made history on September 7, 2025, as the first woman to coach Kenya’s men’s rugby sevens team *Shujaa* in a global tournament—leading them to the semi-finals of the Pacific Nations Cup in Fiji. Her tactical shift to a possession-based game stunned higher-ranked teams, including a 21–19 win over Canada. A former Kenya Lionesses captain and World Rugby Level 3 certified coach, Wambui was appointed after the men’s coaching search prioritized merit over gender. Rugby doesn’t see gender—it sees leadership, she said. Kenya Rugby fast-tracked a national female coaching pipeline. World Rugby invited her to speak at the 2026 Women in Leadership Summit in Paris.

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