Kenya Chipu celebrate after winning the 2026 Barthes Cup title in Uganda. [Rugby Africa]
Kenya’s under-20 rugby team, Chipu, has added another chapter to their growing history after winning a record fourth Rugby Africa U20 Barthes Trophy and earning a place at the World Rugby Junior Trophy.
Chipu sealed the continental title after beating Namibia 33-14 in the final at Muteesa II Stadium in Kampala on Tuesday, moving ahead of Namibia as the most successful team in the competition.
For captain Justine Ng’ombe, the achievement showed the team’s determination to finish the tournament on a high. “The Namibians came hard at us, but we managed to control the game,” Ng’ombe said.
The victory capped a strong tournament for Chipu, who had earlier defeated Zimbabwe 35-21 in the semi-finals. That result gave the young Kenyans confidence as they went into the final knowing another difficult test awaited them.
Ng’ombe said Namibia proved to be stronger than expected, forcing Kenya to work hard for the trophy.
“We didn’t expect that they would be this tough, considering that they didn’t play particularly well against Tunisia in the semi-finals,” he said.