Africa-Press – Uganda. Last year saw Rugby Africa, the continent’s governing body, cancel all activities in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. With the virus not about to go, Rugby Africa has had to forge means of coexisting with it.
A calendar was drawn and the games are on with strict Covid-19 standard operating procedures in place. The Rugby Africa Cup got underway on Saturday in Kenya, with the hosts losing 20-19 to Senegal in Pool B and Ivory Coast getting the better of holders Namibia 25-13 for two shockers on Day One.
Both games had no fans with strip Sops implementated as mandated by Rugby Africa.It’s the same precedent the Uganda Rugby Union (URU) will take when the pool C games start on Saturday at Kyadondo.
Uganda is hosting Pool C games with Algeria and Ghana expected in town this week. Fans will not be allowed to access the venue but follow up remotely as confirmed by URU. “No fans allowed but the livestream channel will be communicated,” URU said.
A squad of 31 had all samples return negative on June 27 before entering camp at Allianz Hotel in Bweyogerere on June 30. The side has been having two sessions a day at Kings Park Arena. At the weekend, the players were preparing to undergo another round of testing as they are expected to have one each week.
The Rugby Cranes, under a new coaching team of Brian Makalama and Bobby Musinguzi, get their Pool C campaign underway against Ghana on Saturday at Kyadondo before facing Algeria on July 18.
The top two teams from each pool progress to the third and final round of the Rugby Africa Cup in 2022. The elimination stages will produce a winner to qualify directly for Rugby Word Cup 2023 and the runner-up to compete in a global repechage tournament.
Pool C fixtures
July 10: Uganda vs Ghana 3pm July 14: Ghana vs Algeria 3pmJuly 18: Uganda vs Algeria 3pmIn camp
Faragi OdugoR. KanyanyaSunday JuruaS.W SsentezaBrian OdongoCollins KimbowaSaul KivumbiRobert AzikuJC Olwangu Eliphaz EmongK. BalagaddeIsaac RujumbaAziz KhanJacob OcenMark OmodingPaul EpiloA. Ofoywroth Adrian KasitoIvan MagomuPius OgenaAlhaji MananoIan MunyaniD. SsemwamiMaxwell EbongaClaude OtemaDenis EtwauSolomon OkiaByron OketayotDesire AyeraIvan KabagambeJustin Kimono
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