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Lady Cranes brave Krakow chill to pursue Madrid dream
Agnes Nakuya fears no barriers. PHOTO/COURTESY
What you need to know:
Currently, Uganda sits fourth with 28 points, tied with Belgium in third place, having secured fourth place in both the Dubai and Montevideo series earlier this year.
The Lady Cranes arrived in Krakow on Tuesday, prepared for the chilly 16-degree temperatures that greeted them in the Polish city, equipped with their jumpers and heavy stockings.
Under the guidance of coach Charles Onen, the team must swiftly overcome this initial hurdle and acclimatize their bodies for the grueling battles ahead in the final leg of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series this weekend.
“We arrived well and had a quick warm-up and later gym sessions to activate the body,” Onen told Daily Monitor via phone.
Skipper Peace Lekuru turns to play a pass. PHOTO/COURTESY
Currently, Uganda sits fourth with 28 points, tied with Belgium in third place, having secured fourth place in both the Dubai and Montevideo series earlier this year.
The team must now replicate or surpass those two performances posted in January and March to secure a place in the HSBC 7s 2025 play-off tournament between May 31-June 2 in Madrid, Spain.
Familiar foes
The Cranes have been pooled in Group B alongside Argetina, Papua New Guinea and Paraguay, a pool that Onen believes they can easily maneuver.
Uganda is making her first appearance at these series but coach Onen already feels the two legs have given them the confidence they require to take their fight to the Henryk Reyman’s Municipal Stadium for another top four.
Agnes Nakuya goes clear of her marker. PHOTO/COURTESY
“We’ve tested these teams apart from one and believe that if we follow our script, we shall be able to top the group.
“Argentina has beaten us twice but we’re fighting to avoid the third loss; We’ve not yet played Paraguay and I know that Papua [New Guinea] will want to revenge for beating them [in Dubai] but I believe we’re more tactical and technical than them,” Onen exuded his confidence.
Uganda beat Papua New Guinea 24-17 to deny them a knockout stage appearance in Dubai. They lost 36-10 to Argentina in the third-place playoff in Dubai and 21-5 in the group stages in Montevideo.
Lady Cranes 7s could make the Challenger Series finale. PHOTO/COURTESY
The top four in the standings after this weekend’s round will qualify for Madrid.
China and Argentina lead the series with 40 and 34 points while Belgium and Uganda follow with 28. Kenya, the other African representative follows closely with 24 after failing to go past the quarterfinals.
