Peace Lekuru returned to her best form over the weekend, but even her brilliance wasn’t enough as the Lady Cranes could only manage a third-place finish at the 2025 Rugby Africa Women’s Cup in Nairobi.
With World Rugby tweaking the tournament format, Uganda’s only route to qualify for the 2026 HSBC Division Three was by winning the competition.
A dominant 50-0 win over Burkina Faso, followed by a hard-fought 20-14 victory against Zambia, set a strong tone heading into Sunday’s knockout rounds. A 31-12 triumph over Tunisia was enough to advance but left lingering questions about the team’s structure and defensive resilience.
Those vulnerabilities were fully exposed against Kenya in a rematch of last month’s Safari Sevens final, which the Simbas had won 17-5.
The Lady Cranes started strongly, with Grace Nabagala breaking through the defense only to be halted at the line, before Peace Lekuru swooped in to finish. But Kenya responded quickly, with Freshia Oduor shrugging off Janat Nandutu’s tackle to score and later intercepting for another decisive try, taking the halftime lead 10-5.
Lekuru struck again after the break to level the scores, but Naomi Amuguni’s late-game run broke Uganda’s hearts as Kenya sealed a dramatic victory on the final play.
‘The tournament has been a good one, despite losing a crucial game in the dying minutes,’ coach Onen reflected. ‘The girls gave their all over the weekend, and the results we have reflect that effort.’
In the other semifinal, South Africa continued their dominant display with a 29-0 win over Madagascar, setting up a repeat of last year’s final against Kenya. Motivated by memories of their Los Angeles playoff defeat that had secured only a Division Two slot, the Boks were ruthless, winning 22-0 to claim a record 13th title.
Uganda, meanwhile, found solace in a 38-12 win over Madagascar to secure the bronze medal, a consolation that, while bittersweet, highlighted their growth and promise on the continental stage.
2025 RUGBY AFRICA WOMEN’S CUP
Uganda’s results
Group stage results
Uganda 50-0 Burkina Faso
Uganda 20-14 Zambia (14)
Quarterfinal: Uganda 31-12 Tunisia
Semifinal: Uganda 10-17 Kenya
Bronze: Madagascar 12-38 Uganda