Uganda misses chance

Jul 01, 2004

If everything had gone the way the Uganda Rugby Union had planned, the national sevens team would be heading into their first Rugby Sevens World Cup.

By Kalungi Kabuye

If everything had gone the way the Uganda Rugby Union had planned, the national sevens team would be heading into their first Rugby Sevens World Cup.

If all the experienced players had been available, if their bosses would have given them a few days off work; or if the Makerere University exam schedule could be changed, maybe Uganda would have qualified. But the plans did not work, and the dreams of World Cup exposure ended on a soggy field in Lusaka.

“If we had all our players, things would have been very different,” national sevens coach, Herbert Wafula, said. “At least we would have beaten Namibia and given Kenya a run for their money. But unfortunately it did not work out, and we came out third.”

Wafula said Uganda’s rugby is not far at all from the top two, which were the ones we lost to, although he insists that with a little more concentration, we could have beaten Namibia.

“Kenya right now is at a different level, largely because of the exposure and experience they got from the IRB sevens series,” he said. “They played seven of the eight rounds, more than Ireland or Wales, and prowess is largely a result of experience. But Namibia, we could have taken.”

Wafula said Uganda had the least preparation for the qualifiers, what with Kenya playing in the IRB series, Zimbabwe sending its team for a month in Europe, and most of Namibia’s players being South African-based professionals.

“But, with a relatively ill-prepared team, we came out third. That says a lot about our rugby, and now we look forward to next year and the IRB Sevens series,” he said.

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