Let us professionalise rugby

Almost a year ago, Uganda was in celebration after winning the Africa Rugby Sevens Championship in Nairobi.

This was undoubtedly our best rugby result since winning the 15s at the same level a decade earlier.

With this victory you got the impression that Uganda Rugby Union had finally put its act together.

Even better performances were therefore expected. I remember that time writing that we were on course for a possible appearance at the world sevens.

But as things turn out all seems not to be well. This is at least going by what happened on Saturday.

We were beaten 22-18 by Kenya in the first leg of the Elgon Cup.

After that result before an unbelieving home crowd at Lugogo you got this feeling that our 2016 victory could have after all been deceptive.

On Saturday we seemed to have the game in our grip. Then, like many an amateur side, lost our nerve and threw it all away.

With the return leg doubling as a Gold Cup qualifier, our chances of pulling off a surprise in Nairobi sound more like a joke.

Like I have always said, it is time we became a little more professional if we are to move in the same direction like African giants Kenya and South Africa.

That shouldn't be very difficult. For starters, we are advantaged by proximity. Kenya which is scaling great heights in the sevens is just next door. If we can't beat them, why not copy them.

It is all about seeing how things are done across the border and learning a few lessons. African giants South Africa are equally also not very far away.

One thing we should do is professionalizing the way we go about the game. The prime area to look at here is team preparation.

One of the reasons Kenya is thriving in the sevens is because of having a team largely of contented full time players.

Ours to the contrary is a case of divided loyalty. You have a player who is employed by a bank and has to sneak from work to make time for training.

And when this player eventually makes it to Lugogo at say 6pm, he has a half pitch to sweat out with the rest of the ground shared by other teams.

Matters are not helped by the 30 minute training session. Compare that to a Kenyan whose rugby and work environment allow him very much more.

He wakes up at 5am and goes for jogging, returns an hour later to some rest before a gym session and afternoon training.

This is all amidst a balanced diet and top notch medical insurance.

Then on top of all this, the player is also assured of a proper kit, an attractive training allowance and salary.

This is all on top of the huge benefits that come with playing on the highly lucrative global circuit.

Uganda Rugby Union should also be thinking in that direction. We can't reap where we didn't sow.