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Rugby Cranes ready for Kenya Simbas

Rugby Cranes'skipper Byron Oketayot (R) carries the ball against Senegal in the Rugby Africa Cup. PHOTO/JOHN BATANUDDE 

By  EMANZI NDYAMUHAKI

What you need to know:

Looking to win their first Elgon Cup since 2015, the Cranes will head to Nairobi today, 24 hours after the 23-man squad for Saturday’s game was named.

The Rugby Cranes will be in action on Saturday, when they face Kenya Simbas in the first leg of the Elgon Cup in Nairobi.

Looking to win their first Elgon Cup since 2015, the Cranes will head to Nairobi today, 24 hours after the 23-man squad for Saturday’s game was named.

The team that finished fifth in the Rugby Africa Cup held at Namboole in July will be without France-based fullback Philip Wokorach.

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Fred Mudoola’s team is a blend of the new kids on the block and the seasoned campaigners.

“The team has been putting in the work and the chemistry and mental strength are looking great. We are ready for the weekend,” utility back Joseph Aredo told Daily Monitor moments after the team was named.

“We have to look at tackling the weekend game first. We hope to build on the fifth place finish we had in the Africa Cup,” he added.

Big boost

The team has been boosted by the availability of the Uganda Sevens players, who missed the Africa Cup due to a tight schedule.

Pius Ogena and Aaron Ofoyrwoth are the two experienced stars selected from the Sevens side and will greatly improve the team.

Ogena’s power will be a big boost to Mudoola’s back row while Ofoyrwoth’s leadership should set the pace in the backline.

Santos Ssenteza, Jude Jjuko and Asuman Mugerwa will start in Uganda’s front row while Charles Uhuru and Eliphaz Emong form the second row.

Moses Zziwa, new team captain Byron Oketayot and Ogena make up Uganda’s back row. Assistant captain Conrad Wanyama will partner Ofoyrwoth as the halfbacks.

Robin Odrua and Shakim Ssembusi on the wings, Eric Mulamula and Innocent Gwokto in the midfield and Aredo at full back complete the Cranes’ starting lineup.

No Magomu

It is the first time the team will be playing since the suspension of Captain Ivan Magomu.

In August, Uganda Rugby Union (URU), through its Disciplinary Committee, suspended Magomu for six months and stripped him of the Rugby Cranes captaincy.

Magomu was charged with two counts of “abuse of match officials” and “bringing sport into disrepute.”

Kenya had been slated to clash with Uganda on November 2, 2024 in Kampala at King’s Park Arena, Bweyogerere but the first leg was pushed November 9, with the first leg in Nairobi.

For the Rugby Cranes, this will be the perfect time to test the squad depth of the 15s side, in preparation for next year’s test games, which will culminate into the 2027 Rugby World Cup qualifiers.

Kenya has dominated the two-nation contest since its inception, winning 13 Elgon Cups against Uganda’s three.

The first leg played in Kampala last year saw the hosts win 21-20 before falling 20-13 in the second leg held in Kisumu to lose out on the ultimate prize.

Elgon Cup

Saturday in Nairobi

Kenya vs. Uganda, 4pm

Rugby Cranes squad

Starting XI
Santos Ssenteza, Jude Jjuko, Asuman Mugerwa, Charles Uhuru, Eliphaz Emong, Moses Zziwa, Byron Oketayot, Ogena, Conrad Wanyama, Aaron Ofoyrwoth, Robin Odrua, Eric Mulamula, Innocent Gwokto, Shakim Ssembusi, Joseph Aredo,
Substitutes
Andrew Emiemu, Saul Kivumbi, Collin Kimbowa, Sidney Gongodyo, Brian Wandera, Yassin Wasswa, Haruna Muhammad, Wilfred Kalungi

In the headlines