Kenya have moved up two places to 23rd after Saturday’s 29-20 win over Madagascar in the opening round of this year’s Rugby Africa Women’s Cup Division 1.
The Lionesses picked up 1.26 points and that was enough to move them above both Portugal and Trinidad and Tobago in the World Rugby Women’s Rankings powered by Capgemini.
Kenya now have 46.52 points which gives them a very slender advantage over Trinidad and Tobago, while the gap between themselves and China in 22nd is a sizeable 2.82 points.
Despite the defeat and the loss of 1.26 points in exchange, Madagascar avoided losing any ground in the rankings and they remain in 28th place going into Wednesday’s second round encounter against Cameroon.
Cameroon are now only one place and just under two-tenths of a point behind Madagascar as their 87-0 defeat to South Africa in round one did not cost them any points.
A new high of 15th was the prize on offer for Fiji for a first-ever win over Australia but Saturday’s match in Sydney ended 22-5 to the Wallaroos.
Both teams are unchanged in the rankings with Australia in fifth and Fiji 17th.
Australia have to wait just over a month until their next fixture, against New Zealand in Brisbane in the World Rugby Pacific Four Series, while Fiji are next in action this Friday, against Papua New Guinea in the Oceania Rugby Women’s Championship.
Both competitions are part of the WXV qualification process with all but the bottom-ranked team in the Pacific Four Series joining the top three teams for the TikTok Women’s Six Nations 2023 in WXV 1.
The winner of the Oceania Rugby Women’s Championship will be placed in WXV 2 along with the fourth placed team from the Pacific Four Series and the winners of the Asian and African regional tournaments.
