Lady Cranes 7s confident
The last time the Lady Cranes 7s were in Ghana, they won the African Games. PHOTO/JOHN BATANUDDE
What you need to know:
The Lady Cranes are fresh from winning the Willem Strauss International 7s invitational tournament in Nylstroom, South Africa and the Safari Sevens in Kenya where they finished third.
Coach Charles Onen is confident that the national women’s rugby sevens team will replicate their male counterparts' form and perform well at this year’s Africa Women’s Rugby Sevens over the weekend.
The two-day event was initially scheduled for October in Tunisia but has been set for November 9 and 10 in Accra, the capital city of Ghana.
Uganda is pooled in Group C alongside Zambia, Senegal and Ivory Coast. Group A has defending champions and favourites South Africa, Tunisia, Zimbabwe and Burkina Faso while B has last year’s finalists Kenya, Madagascar, hosts Ghana and Mauritius.
Onen, who named a blend of experienced and rookie in his team for the duty, believes his team is ready. Among the new faces who missed the Tunisia qualifiers last year but named for this continental assignment include Nile Rapids’ utility back Tina Akello, Unity Namulala, Gertrude Junior Kateesa, Fazira Namukwaya and Mbale Eagles Janat Nandudu.
“We have a mixture of players who’re going to debut and those that are experienced at this level but I believe they’re all ready for the assignment,” Onen said.
Challenger Series
The Lady Cranes are fresh from winning the Willem Strauss International 7s invitational tournament in Nylstroom, South Africa and the Safari Sevens in Kenya where they finished third.
“The experience that the team made at the two tournaments has greatly improved the team and I believe that they will go out, represent the country well and shine,” he added.
Onen’s team will need to match or better those results against 12 opponents at the University of Ghana’s Rugby Stadium for a chance to return to the HSBC Sevens Challenger Series next year. The top three teams will qualify.
It is at this same venue where the team won gold in the inaugural African Games Rugby Women's Sevens in March earlier in the year.
2024 Rugby Africa Women’s Sevens
Group A: South Africa, Tunisia, Zimbabwe, Burkina Faso
Group B: Kenya, Madagascar, Ghana, Mauritius
Group C: Uganda, Zambia, Senegal, Ivory Coast
Lady Cranes 7s squad
Peace Lekuru (C), Grace Nabaggala, Unity Namulala, Grace Auma, Nasozi Maimuna, Janat Nandudu, Tina Molly Akello, Lona Sandra Amoli, Gertrude Junior Kateesa, Fazira Namukwaya, Yvonne Najjuma, Lydia Namabiro
Fixtures - Saturday
Uganda vs. Cote d’Ivoire, 12.22pm
Uganda vs. Senegal, 15.06pm
Uganda vs. Zambia, 18.12pm
