By Johnson Were

MIXED reactions have emerged after the local rugby body URU cancelled Rugby Cranes trip to Harare for a return leg tie against Zimbabwe in the Victoria Cup. The game was due this Saturday.

Uganda beat Zimbabwe 25-14 in the first leg in Kampala a fortnight ago.

URU called off the journey citing players’ psychological concentration levels being low following the July 11 bomb blasts at Kyadondo rugby club and Ethiopian Village restaurant that left 76 people dead and over 50 injured.

Super eight league champions MTN Heathens and Kyadondo club boss Jonathan Kamukama disagreed with the union’s decision.

“It’s clear we had lost both the Elgon and Victoria Cup to Kenya, it might be issues of finances but our players could have benefited from the exposure in Harare ahead of CAR tournament,” Kamukama explained.

G4S Pirates chairperson George Mbalu supported him. “I am not privy to that information of cancelling the trip but if true, that is a very big mistake. We needed that game for CAR preparations.”

However, former country rugby manager Herbert Wafula supported URU’s decision saying that deaths on a leading rugby ground has had effects on the players and trauma can not be ruled out barely a week after the tragedy.

“You don’t have to lose only relatives to be traumatised. These players lost many of their friends they hang out with at Kyadondo club and they need to recover from such shock,” Wafula said.

Team manager Brian Tabaruka explained that some players wanted the trip on while others supported the cancellation so the union had to take a decision.