Namibia ejects Uganda
Sep 02, 2003
UGANDAN rugby has come a long way, and still has ways to go. But not to the World Cup, at least not yet, and it showed on Sunday.
By Kalungi Kabuye
Namibia 82 Uganda 13
UGANDAN rugby has come a long way, and still has ways to go. But not to the World Cup, at least not yet, and it showed on Sunday.
Playing their last game before the 2003 Rugby World Cup in Australia next month, top-ranked Namibia pulled out all the stops and overwhelmed the Rugby Cranes 82-13 in a CAR Top Nine semi-finals game played in Windhoek on Sunday.
“Of course the Namibians play at a different level from us, so we are not overly disappointed at the results,†Paul Sigombe, chairman of Uganda Rugby Union, said.
“Most of their players are professionals, playing in the Currie Cup. But the result should have been a lot closer than that.â€
It was a game where the hosts scored a record 12 tries, converting 11 of them. Gerson Onono had Uganda’s only consolation try, converted by Robert Seguya, who also kicked in two penalties.
Although Uganda did not make it to the final of Africa’s premier rugby event, they have come as far as they could, and Sigombe believes they can only build on that.
“Two years ago we went to Zimbabwe and lost 40-0, but by the time they came here this year, we had improved and beat them 25-3,†Sigombe said.
Namibia 82 Uganda 13
UGANDAN rugby has come a long way, and still has ways to go. But not to the World Cup, at least not yet, and it showed on Sunday.
Playing their last game before the 2003 Rugby World Cup in Australia next month, top-ranked Namibia pulled out all the stops and overwhelmed the Rugby Cranes 82-13 in a CAR Top Nine semi-finals game played in Windhoek on Sunday.
“Of course the Namibians play at a different level from us, so we are not overly disappointed at the results,†Paul Sigombe, chairman of Uganda Rugby Union, said.
“Most of their players are professionals, playing in the Currie Cup. But the result should have been a lot closer than that.â€
It was a game where the hosts scored a record 12 tries, converting 11 of them. Gerson Onono had Uganda’s only consolation try, converted by Robert Seguya, who also kicked in two penalties.
Although Uganda did not make it to the final of Africa’s premier rugby event, they have come as far as they could, and Sigombe believes they can only build on that.
“Two years ago we went to Zimbabwe and lost 40-0, but by the time they came here this year, we had improved and beat them 25-3,†Sigombe said.