When the Women’s 2025 Africa Rugby Cup kicks off in Nairobi, Kenya next month, Uganda’s Lady Cranes Sevens should’ve acclimatised enough and ready for battle.
The team drove to the Kenyan capital midweek ahead of the 27th edition of the Safari Sevens to be held from Friday through to Sunday.
Lady Cranes Sevens suffered a heartbreak when major reshuffles at World Rugby altered the Sevens format forcing Uganda Rugby Union to pull the team out of the Challenger Series to concentrate on the fifteens code.
However, with the Africa Sevens returning next month, the Lady Cranes have every reason to battle in Nairobi.
At Safari Sevens, Uganda will challenge for the title they won in 2023 against defending champions Costa Blanca Barbarians, Belgium, Zimbabwe and Kenya Lionesses’ first and second teams.
But the team’s head coach Charles Onen is not shaken.’We’ve a tough contest ahead of us,’ Onen admitted, adding that, ‘We won it in 2023 fell short in 2024 but we want to bounce back and win it as a motivation for the Africa Cup.’
Fastest
Onen has gone for experience in his squad even in the absence of Peace Lekuru as Agnes Nakuya steps in to wear the armband.
Eyes should also focus on Thunderbirds’ youngster Comfort Anganyika who wheeled faster than everyone to scoop the top try scorer’s award in the just-concluded Nile Special National Sevens.
‘We have a good young team that is ready to represent. We were lucky that the players were able to balance playing for their clubs over the weekends and then train on Wednesdays for the team,’ Onen added.
Lydia Namabiro will deputise for the armband. Other players travelling include Yvonne Najjuma, Fazira Namukwaya, Suzan Adong, Grace Nabaggala, Juliet Nandawula, Sandra Amoli, Tina Akello, Racheal Mufuwa and Janat Nandudu.
In the men’s category, Nile Special Sevens newly-crowned champions Walukuba Barbarians and Rugby Cranes will battle for the flag after the Jinja team was invited to take part.
2025 Safari Sevens
Men
Pool A: Kenya Shujaa, French Renegades, UK Select, Walukuba Rugby
Pool B: Shogun, Uganda, Nyati, KCB Rugby
Pool C: Kenya Morans, Zimbabwe, Apache, ReUnion
Rugby Canes team: Allan Olango, Roy Kizito, Jeremiah Ojambo, Fat Moses Watmon, Patrick Okello, Ivan Bulima, Karim Arinaitwe (captain), Gift Wokorach, Jones Kamiza, Shakim Ssembusi, Daniel Otim, Julius Oyuk
Women
Pool A: Costa Blanca Barbarians, Shogun, Kenya Cubs, Mwamba Select
Pool B: Kenya Lionesses, Uganda, Belgium, Tunisia
Lady Cranes team: Agnes Nakuya (captain), Lydia Namabiro, Yvonne Najjuma, Fazira Namukwaya, Suzan Adong, Grace Nabaggala, Juliet Nandawula, Sandra Lona Amoli, Tina Akello, Comfort Anganyika, Racheal Mufuwa, Janat Nandudu