Nine months on from Nairobi, the 2024 Barthes U20 Championship has been announced to take place in April in Harare, Zimbabwe.
Zimbabwe is the reigning African championships, having beaten Kenya 28-07 in the final in 2023 in Nyayo Stadium. The winner of the 2024 edition will represent Africa in the World U20 trophy in Pool B alongside Uruguay, Netherlands and one of the USA or Canada.
“The World Rugby U20 Trophy 2024 will take place in Scotland from 2-17 July 2024. Played over four match days at the Hive Stadium in Edinburgh, it will be contested by eight teams fighting for promotion to the World Rugby U20 Championship 2025,” read an excerpt from World Rugby.
Uganda saved face on the last day in 2023, coming from behind to beat Madagascar 21-17, claim 7th place out of 8 teams, and avoid relegation.
At the time, coach Katuntu bemoaned the limited time for preparations and getting the boys playing as one.
“It all boils down to preparation. We need to get together as a technical unit and work with the powers that be to ensure that we start these preparations early such that the boys are exposed much more coming into a tournament like this,” Coach Katuntu said to Kawowo Sports’s Ernest Akorebirungi after the tense match against Madagascar.
It looks like that alarm wasn’t heeded, and there have been no concrete initiatives since then to get the likely team candidates in any camp or consolidated management. The 2023 team consisted of players who had just concluded a gruelling High School Championship calendar, coupled with players from the reserve league and a few somewhat established names from the then Premiership.
Owing to the 7th place finish from 2023, Uganda was assured of being in this year’s edition. Still, after returning from Kenya in May 2023, the lid on that conversation was slapped shut and is only being resurrected now.
If there is anything we know from the Uganda Rugby Union, they are creatures of habit. Chances are high that the team will be summoned in the same fashion, and as usual, rugby faithful will be hopeful in their boys, only to grow long faces at the end of the tournament. The boys are set up to fail. Of course, Rugby Afrique takes some of the blame for the late communication, but the fact that we weren’t relegated last year should call for some sort of thought into the consistency of the U20 program.
That notwithstanding, there’s a glimmer of hope from the clubs themselves. They have taken up several age-grade classes at their different venues on various weekends to keep the conveyor belt going while sharpening the country’s next stars.
