Paul Harris Girls break Coastal rugby jinx with historic FEASSSA debut

Kilifi County-based Paul Harris Girls Secondary School have made history as the first girls’ school from Kenya’s Coast region to qualify and feature at the East Africa Secondary Schools Games (FEASSA) in rugby.

Formed in July 2022, just months before girls’ rugby officially debuted under the Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association (KSSSA) at the Kakamega Nationals, the team has grown remarkably in a short period. At their maiden Nationals in Kisii last year, Paul Harris finished fifth, before improving to fourth this year—a feat that secured their ticket to the continental stage.

At FEASSA, the newcomers embraced their underdog tag with spirit, finishing fifth overall after a battling campaign. They stunned Uganda’s Nkoma SS 15–12 with a dramatic late comeback in their opener, and edged St. Joseph’s (Kenya) 10–7 on Day Two. They later fell 29–7 to Kinale Girls, 18–0 against Uganda’s Jinja SS, and closed with a 26–0 loss to St. Teresa’s. But with two hard-fought wins, the coastal side proved they belonged on the big stage.

Head coach Dearn Sifuna hailed the team’s historic breakthrough:

“Our journey to East Africa has been our coastal dream since antiquity. We have broken the jinx that a coastal team will never go past Nationals. For the first time in history, a team from Coast reached EA.”

He noted that their dramatic opening victory against Uganda set the tone.

“We showed good competition when we won our first match 15–12 against the Ugandan team in the last minute. Being fifth overall is a good achievement—we are proud as Coast to achieve this through girls’ rugby.”

For a region long considered a rugby underdog, Paul Harris Girls’ rise symbolizes more than just sporting success. It is a beacon of possibility for schools across the Coast, and a milestone in the growth of girls’ rugby in Kenya.