Uganda’s netball team the She Cranes will take part in this year’s Celtic Cup starting November 26 in Scotland with intention to rise from seventh place sixth in world rankings.
The team that is also eying automatic qualification for the World Cup that will be hosted in Sydney, Australia next year will only achieve this feat if they reclaim the sixth position that they last held in 2024 before dropping in 2025.
The She Cranes head into the competition seeking vengeance against Wales who are now occupying the sixth position.
Other countries that will take part in the Celtic Cup include Northern Ireland, Scotland, Namibia and Zimbabwe.
The top six ranked countries by qualification time will automatically make the cut for the 2027 Netball World Cup while the rest will undergo qualifiers.
For the Celtic cup, a strong squad of 24 players was invited for preparations under head coach Rashid Mubiru and former She Cranes centre player Ruth Meeme as his assistant.
To allow players time with their local clubs, given the ongoing netball league, the She Cranes only train twice a week alternating between the Lugogo indoor stadium and Hamz Stadium in Nakivubo.
Gloria Ayaa, one of the young defenders on the long squad, reveals that the ongoing netball league has made their work easy.
‘The netball league is preparing us in a way that teams are competitive, so we get strength, more competition and experience from the teams that are taking part in the netball league,’ she said.
Assistant coach Ruth Meeme is content with the blend of new players alongside the team mainstays that are competing for places on the final squad.
‘The team is in good shape because we added in players who never featured in the January Test Series. These include Shadiah Nassanga, Faridah Kadondi and Christine Namulumba. In the mid court we have called up new players who will boost the squad,’ Meeme told Daily Monitor.
She Cranes shooter Mary Nuba who plays for Queensland Firebirds in the Australian league was also invited, but the shooting ace will only join colleagues in Scotland.
Celtic Cup
Dates: November 26-30, 2025
Venue: Emirates Arena, Glasgow
Teams: Wales, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Namibia