Kenya Simbas battled to a hard-fought 27-24 win over Supa Barbarians in a thrilling build-up match held at Nylstroom Rugby Club in Limpopo, South Africa, on Tuesday, 24th June 2025.
In what was their penultimate match of the South African tour, the Simbas put on a determined display, using the fixture as part of their final preparations for the upcoming Rugby Africa Cup a tournament that also serves as a pathway to the 2027 Rugby World Cup.
Kenya Simbas Bright Start
Timothy Omela opened the scoring early for Kenya, crossing the whitewash and converting his own try for a 7-0 lead. Patrick Sabatia extended the advantage with a second try, though the conversion sailed wide, pushing the Simbas 12-0 ahead.
The hosts responded with a try off a maul, closing the gap to 12-5, but Simbas skipper George Nyambua restored daylight with another try from a rolling maul to take the scores to 17-5 at halftime.
The Supa Barbarians came back strong in the second half, scoring a converted try to cut the deficit to just five points. However, a powerful run from Andycole Omolo in the 60th minute saw him crash over, with Omela converting for a 24-12 lead.
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Three minutes later, the Barbarians struck again with another converted try, setting up a tense finish at 24-19. Omela then slotted a crucial penalty, giving the Simbas breathing room at 27-19.
The hosts managed a last-minute unconverted try, but it was not enough to deny Kenya a narrow win, as the match ended 27-24 in favour of the Simbas.
This was the Simbas’ second-last fixture on their South African tour, which began with a 17-17 draw against SWD Eagles in George on June 3. The Simbas then faced a stern test against South Africa U20 in Stellenbosch, falling 24-42 in their first encounter and 19-75 in the second. A dominant 62-22 victory over Tygerberg RFC followed, before a 26-42 defeat to Sanlam Boland in Wellington on 20th June.
The Simbas are scheduled to wrap up their tour with another clash against the Supa Barbarians on Thursday, 26th June. They will return to Nairobi on June 27 before holding a short pre-departure camp on July 1 and 2. The team then departs for Uganda on July 3 to participate in the Rugby Africa Cup – their gateway to the 2027 Rugby World Cup.
