The Rwanda women's national cricket team represents Rwanda in international women's cricket.
History Rwanda's women's team first played in 2007, playing two matches against Uganda in December of that year, before participating in the 2008–09 East African Women's Championship. Since 2014 the country has hosted the Kwibuka T20 Tournament annually.
In March 2018, Cricket Builds Hope - a charity focused on the use the sport as a tool for social change in Rwanda - commenced the Women's Empowerment Programme, a multi-year project aiming to use cricket to help develop leadership skills amongst women from low-income families in Kigali.
In April 2018, the International Cricket Council (ICC) granted full Women's Twenty20 International (WT20I) status to all its members. Therefore, all Twenty20 matches played between Rwanda women and other ICC members since 1 July 2018 have been full WT20Is.
Rwanda played their first WT20I on 26 January 2019, during a five-match series against Nigeria.
In the 2019 ICC Development Awards, recognising advancement of the sport in Associate and Affiliate nations, Rwanda received two of the six awards available: Female Participation Programme of the Year, and Associate Member Women's Performance of the Year.
In December 2020, the ICC announced the qualification pathway for the 2023 ICC Women's T20 World Cup. Rwanda were named in the 2021 ICC Women's T20 World Cup Africa Qualifier regional group, alongside ten other teams. Rwanda finished third in their group after winning three of their five matches, failing to progress to the knockout stages of the tournament.
Records and statistics
International Match Summary — Rwanda Women
Last updated 19 June 2026 Playing Record Format M W L T NR Inaugural Match Twenty20 Internationals 134 81 50 2 1 26 January 2019
Twenty20 International
Highest team total: 246/1 v Mali, 21 June 2019, at Gahanga International Cricket Stadium. Highest individual score: 114*, Marie Bimenyimana v Mali, 21 June 2019, at Gahanga International Cricket Stadium, Kigali and Gisele Ishimwe v Eswatini, 12 September 2021, at Botswana Cricket Association Oval, Gaborone. Best individual bowling figures: 5/3, Marie Bimenyimana v Malawi, 31 May 2024, at Gahanga B Ground, Kigali.
Most T20I runs for Rwanda Women PlayerRunsAverageCareer spanGisele Ishimwe 2,026 20.26 2019–2026Marie Bimenyimana 1,636 17.78 2019–2026Henriette Ishimwe 1,437 16.14 2019–2026Merveille Uwase 859 15.07 2022–2026Clarisse Uwase 772 11.35 2022–2026
Most T20I wickets for Rwanda Women PlayerWicketsAverageCareer spanHenriette Ishimwe 164 10.95 2019–2026Marie Bimenyimana 104 12.41 2019–2026Rosine Irera 91 12.13 2023–2026Alice Ikuzwe 78 13.92 2019–2026Belise Murekatete 74 14.48 2019–2026
Records complete to WT20I #2872. Last updated 19 June 2026. Opponent M W L T NR First match First win ICC Full members 3 0 3 0 0 9 May 2019 ICC Associate members 10 10 0 0 0 6 June 2021 6 June 2021 4 3 0 1 0 10 June 2022 10 June 2022 4 4 0 0 0 31 March 2023 31 March 2023 1 1 0 0 0 12 September 2021 12 September 2021 1 1 0 0 0 1 April 2022 1 April 2022 1 1 0 0 0 12 June 2022 12 June 2022 3 3 0 0 0 28 March 2022 28 March 2022 2 1 1 0 0 18 April 2026 27 April 2026 20 13 7 0 0 10 June 2021 19 April 2023 3 3 0 0 0 22 April 2024 22 April 2024 5 5 0 0 0 31 May 2024 31 May 2024 2 2 0 0 0 18 June 2019 18 June 2019 4 4 0 0 0 8 May 2019 8 May 2019 2 0 2 0 0 7 June 2021 2 0 2 0 0 22 April 2026 30 16 13 1 0 26 January 2019 28 January 2019 7 7 0 0 0 30 March 2022 30 March 2022 11 2 9 0 0 11 May 2019 22 April 2023 14 2 12 0 0 19 June 2019 17 June 2023 1 0 1 0 0 21 April 2023 2 1 0 0 1 21 April 2026 21 April 2026 2 2 0 0 0 19 April 2026 19 April 2026
Current squad Updated as on 26 April 2024
This lists all the players who played for Rwanda in the past 12 months or named in the most recent squad.
Name Age Batting style Bowling style Notes Batters Marie Bimenyimana Right-handed Right-arm medium Clarisse Uwase Left-handed Left-arm medium Gisele Ishimwe Right-handed Right-arm medium Merveille Uwase Right-handed - Shakila Niyomuhoza Right-handed - Cathia Uwamahoro Right-handed - Liliane Ufitinema Right-handed Right-arm off break All-rounders Henriette Ishimwe Right-handed Right-arm medium Alice Ikuzwe Right-handed Right-arm medium Flora Irakoze Right-handed Right-arm off break Captain & Wicket-keeper Georgette Ingabire Left-handed Right-arm medium Spin Bowlers Rosine Irera Right-handed Right-arm off break Marie Tumukunde Left-handed Slow left-arm orthodox Rosette Shimwamana Right-handed Right-arm off break Pace Bowlers Belise Murekatete Right-handed Right-arm medium Josiane Nyirankundineza Right-handed Right-arm medium Immaculee Muhawenimana Right-handed Right-arm medium Devotha Uwizeya Right-handed Right-arm medium Nadine Nzayituriki Right-handed Right-arm medium Tournament history ICC Women's ODI World Cup
Women's Cricket World Cup recordsHostYearRoundPositionGPWLTNR 1973 Did not qualify/No Women's ODI status 1978 1982 1988 1993 1997 2000 2005 2009 2013 2017 2022 2025Total0/130 Titles00000 ICC Women's Cricket World Cup Qualifier ICC Women's Cricket World Cup Qualifier records HostYearRoundPositionGPWLTNR 2003Did not qualify/No ODI status 2008 2011 2017 2021 2025Total0/60 Title00000
ICC Women's World T20
Twenty20 World Cup recordsHostYearRoundPositionGPWLTNR 2009 Did not qualify 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2023 2024 2026Total0/90 Titles00000
ICC Women's Twenty20 Global Qualifier ICC Women's World Twenty20 Qualifier recordsHostYearRoundPositionGPWLTNR 2013Did not qualify 2015 2018 2019 2022 2024 2026Total0/70 Titles00000
ICC Women's T20 Champions Trophy ICC Women's T20 Champions Trophy recordsHostYearRoundPositionGPWLTNR 2027To be determined 2031Total–0 Title00000
ICC Women's T20 World Cup Africa Qualifier ICC Women's T20 World Cup Africa Qualifier recordsYearRoundPositionGPWLTNR 2019Group stage–42200 2021Group stage–53200Total2/20 Title 95400
ICC Women's T20 World Cup Africa Qualifier Division One ICC Women's T20 World Cup Africa Qualifier Division One recordsYearRoundPositionGPWLTNR 2025DNQ5/853200Total1/10 Title 53200
ICC Women's T20 World Cup Africa Qualifier Division Two ICC Women's T20 World Cup Africa Qualifier Division Two recordsYearRoundPositionGPWLTNR 2023Group stage–30300 2025Champion1/855000Total2/21 Title 85300
Cricket at the African Games Cricket at the African Games recordsHostYearRoundPositionGPWLTNR 2023Group stage–30300 2027To be determined 2031Total0/10 Title30300
See also List of Rwanda women Twenty20 International cricketers
References
Further reading