Having fallen short in the semifinals against hosts Kenya, Uganda’s Lady Cranes 7s showed their trademark resilience once again to secure bronze at the Rugby Africa Women’s 7s.
Determined to end on a high, the Lady Cranes opened the 3rd-place playoff with real intent.
Peace Lekuru, Samiya Ayikoru, and Grace Nabaggala scored quick, converted tries that put Uganda firmly in control.
Madagascar fought back with a sharp team move, clean offloads, good support, and a finish under the posts to cut the gap and test Uganda’s calm.
But the Lady Cranes refused to let momentum slip. Suzan Adong muscled over to restore the lead, and Lydia Namabiro added another, stretching the score to 33–12 and putting the bronze well within reach.
The introduction of Yvonne Najjuma in the second half brought her usual spark. Strong in contact and always pushing the team forward, she broke through the defense before setting up Unity Namulala for the final try under the posts.
Uganda’s journey may have echoed last year, another semifinal setback followed by a medal but there was plenty to celebrate, especially Lydia Namabiro finishing as the tournament’s top try scorer, a sign of her rising influence on the African stage.
