As the National U18 girl’s rugby sevens team takes on the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games from 2^nd November, much of the attention will naturally fall on the young players running out at the Complexe Iba Mar Diop Stadium.

On that Monday afternoon, Kenya Rugby will be making history on several folds, it will mark a return to the Youth Olympics for the first time since 2014 in Nanjing, China, that time participating in the boy’s category. It will also be the first time that Kenya will be fielding a girls’ team at the games.

What will probably go unnoticed to many, is that behind those girls, will be an all-female technical team that will be handling a national team, for the first time in Kenya Rugby history.

The three Ladies that will be making this piece of history will be, head coach Knight Otwoma, Team Manager Melody Kamau and Physiotherapist Sharon Wanjala.

We managed to have a conversation with Knight and Sharon as they shared their trail blazing stories leading to Dakar and what this historic moment means to them.

Different journeys that coincidentally started in 2017, from Kisumu and Kakamega, one a player the other, a fan, now a coach, the other a physiotherapist now in Dakar as part of the first all-female technical team at an Olympic Games!

KNIGHT OTWOMA – HEAD COACH

As captain, I learned what it means to carry national expectations

Knight Otwoma is a Kisumu girl, she joined the game, “After a friend who played both rugby and kabaddi introduced me to the sport.” She remembers.

Her journey is quite special, Nairobi to Kisumu and then back again…

“I started at Suburbs Women’s rugby, then played for Kisumu Dolphins before moving to Nairobi to join the National team and later the Impala Roans.”

Knight, a lady of firsts, progressed to captain the first Kenya Lionesses XVs side at World Rugby’s WXV3s vs Spain the Dubai campaign in 2023. In Dakar she will be coming full circle.

As captain in Dubai, ‘’Captaining Kenya during the inaugural WXV3 tournament in Dubai was a defining moment in my rugby career,’’ said Knight.  

She described it as a proud personal achievement and as well as a milestone for Kenyan women’s rugby, as it placed the Lionesses on a new global women’s rugby platform.

“As captain, I learned what it means to carry national expectations, build team unity, and compete under pressure.’’ She concluded.

Otwoma’s passion for developing the game led her to coaching, with a passion for passing on the values she learned over the years to young players, especially girls, and giving them the same opportunities that helped her progress, and even more.

She has since been recognized for her work in coaching young players at Nairobi’s DBA Wazi Wazi Rugby Academy, where she coaches weekly and serves as a role model for boys and girls being introduced to the game.

Her appointment to lead Kenya’s U18 girls at the Dakar games reflects both her playing experience and her growing reputation as a developer of talent.

Her coaching philosophy is likely to be shaped by the same qualities that defined her playing career, that of discipline, resilience, and an understanding that rugby is as much about character as it is about skill.

For Otwoma, Dakar’s journey did not immediately seem real, but eventually sank in during the 2026 Safari 7s tournament when the team was introduced to the crowd.

In her words, the realization at the 2026 Safari 7s brought tears of joy and left her feeling both overwhelmed and humbled for the opportunity.

“I was overwhelmed with emotions, and the tears were just tears of joy. It was such a special and humbling moment for me”

SHARON WANJALA – THE FIXER

When I joined rugby in 2023, I never imagined that I would one day get such an opportunity…

Just like her head coach in Dakar, Sharon’s rugby journey started in 2017…

“My journey in rugby started as a fan before transitioning to being a physio, between 2017 and 2022 as a student in MMUST. In 2023 is when I finally got actively got involved in rugby as a physiotherapist.”

For Sharon Wanjala, her story is tightly tied with her home club, you cannot separate Sharon from Mwamba…

“My journey has been interesting and rewarding, from day one, I have received overwhelming support from my club, as well as from other members of the medical team and even people I barely knew. I also have a group of people I look up to who have been incredibly supportive and have played a significant role in my growth.”

On why she chose to be a rugby physiotherapist, Sharon was clear, plus a few inspirations…

“First, I am a physiotherapist by profession, then during my training, most of the focus was on the clinical aspect of physiotherapy, but my interest in sports grew from my time at MMUST. Being around the sport made me appreciate it more, and I began to see sports physiotherapy as something I would love to explore.”

After graduating, I wanted to find something meaningful to do with my weekends, and that is how I found myself at Mwamba RFC. I was also inspired by a former classmate, Redemptor, who was doing so well at Kabras. Looking at her journey made me realize that if she could make it in that space, I could do it too.”

So how did it feel to be part of this first all lady team to Dakar?

“The feeling was truly exciting and humbling. When I joined rugby in 2023, I never imagined that I would one day get such an opportunity. Being appointed to manage the U18s for Dakar means so much to me.”

“It is a huge milestone in my journey as a physiotherapist and an incredible opportunity to serve on such a big stage. I hope this inspires a young girl somewhere finding her path in the sport, that her dreams are valid.”

This far in her time, Sharon has made many memories in the game, her fondest one being at this year’s Prinsloo 7s women’s semifinals when Kiambaa introduced themselves to us all when they beat the Kenya Harlequins Queens.

In her words, “It was a game of such high intensity for the girls and it being their debut in the National Sevens Circuit, it was something memorable.”

On going on to make history, Kenya’s first all-women’s management team is not holding back on their expectations…

“Being the country’s all first all women technical bench, I hope that we win our games and come back home with a medal. I hope that the girls express themselves and get to know what it feels like to represent the country. I also hope we inspire more ladies to take up spaces in sports.”

“As an individual, I hope that this is a learning opportunity for me that will help me create more opportunities and networks that will help me professionally.”

Coach Otwoma closes by sharing her expectations in Dakar, “My expectations is to see the girls give their best and play as a team and represent Kenya with pride. Our goal is to compete for a medal and make our Country proud!”

Our rising Lionesses are in Pool A with Australia, China and hosts Senegal while Pool B has the United States, Spain, Czechia and Madagascar.

We wish them all the best, Let’s go girls, Lets go KENYA!!