Pressure cooker
Home Comfort. Captain Michael Wokorach (L) and Phillip Wokorach will have a packed Kyadondo supporting them. PHOTOS/JOHN BATANUDDE & URU MEDIA
What you need to know:
- Three-In-One. Coach Onyango is welcoming the pressure and has referred to it as ‘good’ as his side chases a third continental title, Commonwealth Games and Rugby World Cup qualification all in one.
Hosting major sporting events like the Africa Men’s Sevens comes with status and prestige for any nation but there is also always pressure from the home side to perform well in their own backyard.
Rugby Cranes Sevens coach Tolbert Onyango is welcoming the pressure and has referred to it as ‘good’ for his side as they chase a third continental title, Commonwealth Games and Rugby World Cup qualification all in one. “It is good pressure because it is pressure to do well at home after two years in the cold,” Onyango told Daily Monitor. The Africa Men’s 7s was last held in 2019 with Covid-19 restrictions putting off the 2020 and 2021 editions.
Mature Now. Okeny (L), Kasito (C) and Kisiga have the talent to single handedly win games for Uganda. PHOTO/URU MEDIA
The 2019 edition had Uganda make the final,losing 29-0 to Kenya. After two years, Onyango hopes Uganda can go all the way over the weekend as hosts like they did in 2017. Adrian Kasito raced through for the winning score in 2017 against Zimbabwe at the death to send Legends Rugby Club into raptures. Uganda had been trailing 5-7 for most of the tie and Kasito stepped up.
14 countries namely Burkina Faso, Ghana, Madagascar, Namibia, Senegal, Tunisia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Senegal, Burundi and Botswana kick off their campaigns in Africa 7s rugby’s premium competition tomorrow at Kyadondo Rugby Club with holders Kenya taking on Senegal in the first game of the day. The tournament format will see the top eight sides after round one fixtures paired for main Cup duels with the other six sides competing in the challenge cup.
Onyango was in good spirits after announcing his final 12 man squad for the weekend. After three months of preparation, he is confident he had seen enough to pick the right men for the job. Uganda cannot afford any slips as this tournament remains the most important of them all this year with Commonwealth Games and Rugby World Cup qualification at stake for the top two and three sides respectively.
RUGBY CRANES 7s
Karim Arinaitwe, Desire Ayera, Claude Otema, Phillip Wokorach, Michael Wokorach (captain), Adrian Kasito, Aaron Ofoyrwoth, Ian Munyani (vice captain), Timothy Kisiga, Isaac Massanganzira, Kelvin Balagadde, Norbet Okeny
AFRICA MEN’S SEVENS
TOMORROW- OPENING ROUND FIXTURES, KYRFC
Kenya vs. Senegal, 8:00am
Uganda vs. Burundi, 8:22am
Zimbabwe vs. B.Faso, 8:44am
M’dscar vs. Botswana, 9:06am
Namibia vs. Ghana, 9:28am
Zambia vs. Cameroon, 9:50am
Tunisia vs. Mauritius, 10:12am
