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Fourth title beckons for Rugby Cranes 7s
Adrian Kasito has been part of all three of Uganda's Africa Men's Sevens winning teams. PHOTOS/COURTESY
What you need to know:
Both Kenya and South Africa are core teams in the SVNS and, therefore, are out of contention for any of the two slots for the Challenger Series.
When the Uganda men’s national sevens team takes to the Labourdonnais Sports Club pitch this weekend for the second leg of the 2024 Africa Men’s Sevens, two major goals will be on their checklist.
First, the Rugby Cranes will be seeking to secure their fourth African title in addition to their previous triumphs in 2016, 2017 and 2022 before Kenya snatched it away last year.
Secondly, the Cranes aim another shot at the prestigious World Rugby Sevens Series, the HSBC SVNS. Two teams from this weekend will qualify for next year’s Challenger Series which provides the qualifying pathway to the 2026 HSBC SVNS.
Both Kenya and South Africa are core teams in the SVNS and, therefore, are out of contention for any of the two slots for the Challenger Series. Uganda looks odds-on-favorite to return to the global qualifiers next year.
Fortunately, achieving both goals -title and Challenger ticket- may require just a single outcome - triumph!
The Rugby Cranes won the first leg played last weekend at the same venue and will hope to build on that this weekend on July 6-7.
To start with, the Tolbert Onyango-coached side will face the same set they played in the group stages last weekend on Saturday.
France-based Philip Wokorach leaves the opposition for dead.
Uganda had an easy ride over Tunisia and Burkina Faso but escaped by a whisker twice against the Ivoirians in the groups and quarterfinal.
They triumphed over the trio but they will have to work harder, says Onyango.
“The teams have done their analysis [from the first round] and it will be tougher this time around,” Onyango acknowledged.
Game plan
Uganda went on to beat a second-string South African side 12-0 in the semifinal. They denied Madagascar a second-half comeback to win the final 31-12.
Definitely, Rugby Cranes will be the team to beat this weekend but Onyango asserts that they will not alter their initial plan.
“We shall stick to our game plan because we can only control what’s within our circle,” he said.
Onyango’s squad is littered with success. The addition of Isaac Massa, Desire Ayera Aaron Ofoyrwoth and Dennis Etwau to the Mauritius party meant that every single player who will feature for Cranes this weekend is an African champion.
2024 RUGBY AFRICA MEN'S SEVENS - SECOND LEG
Groups
Group A: Uganda, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Tunisia
Group B: Madagascar, Keya, Zambia, Algeria
Group C: South Africa, Zimbabwe, Mauritius, Nigeria
Rugby Cranes Sevens team for Mauritius
Pius Ogena, Isaac Massa, Ian Munyani, Philip Wokorach, Alex Aturinda, Desire Ayera, Aron Ofoywroth, Dennis Etwau, Adrian Kasito, Karim Arinaitwe, Nobert Okeny, Timothy Kisiga
Uganda’s group fixtures - Saturday
Uganda vs. Tunisia - 9.50 am
Uganda vs. Ivory Coast- 12.34 am
Uganda vs. Burkina Faso - 3.18 am
Africa Men’s Sevens previous winners
2000 - Zimbabwe
2004 - Kenya
2008 - Kenya
2012 - Zimbabwe
2013 - Kenya
2014 - South Africa
2015 - Kenya
2016 - Uganda
2017 - Uganda
2018 - Zimbabwe
2019 - Kenya
2020 - Canceled due to Covid
2021 - Canceled due to Covid
2022 - Uganda
2023 – Kenya
2024 - ???
