Kenya Lionesses star signs for Japanese rugby side
Mwamba RFC captain Janet "Shebesh" Okello (centre) charges towards the Impala defence during their Kenya Cup final match on March 19, 2022 at the Impala Club
What you need to know:
- Okello will be the first Kenyan to play professional rugby in Japan.
- The club’s website says Pearls were established in 2016-2017 and have won several titles, including the Japan Women’s Rugby Championship 2020.
Kenya Lionesses star Janet ‘Shebesh’ Okello has completed a move to Japanese side MIE Pearls Women’s Rugby Football Club.
The 29-year-old winger joins Yokkaichi City-based side on a year-long contract from newly-crowned Kenya Cup champions Mwamba RFC.
Her Irish-Fijian manager Linda Shannon confirmed the development on Monday.
"Janet Okello has signed a professional full-time deal with MIE Pearls Womens Rugby Club in Japan for a year. An exciting start for her and, hopefully, an inspiration to many younger Kenyan females to take up the sport of rugby,” Shannon told Nation Sport.
Okello, who is poised to take over the national team captaincy duties from United Arab Emirates (UAE) national women team head coach Philadelphia Olando, also confirmed that everything regarding the deal had been finalised and she will go for her visa on Tuesday.
The two-time Olympian inspired Mwamba’s triumph in the inaugural six-team Women’s Kenya Cup on Saturday.
She scored two tries for Mwamba as they stunned the much-fancied Impala Roans 15-11 in the Kenya Cup final at the Impala Club in Nairobi.
Okello will be the first Kenyan to play professional rugby in Japan.
The club’s website says Pearls were established in 2016-2017 and have won several titles, including the Japan Women’s Rugby Championship 2020.
