Weekends like the last one are few on the Ugandan rugby calendar, and for the fete to be served up so early in the year, rugby folk had a whole serving and then some. So, what were the standout moments that we saw?
1. Peace and Grace, One-two punch
Hello, Lady Cranes, you are all forms of amazing. What a weekend for you!!
The Uganda Lady Cranes were the only debutantes on the 7s Challenger Series roster this past weekend, and having been drawn against 2023 Runners-up Belgium, Thailand and Papua New Guinea, it was bound to be a flight of uncharted skies.
The stage doesn’t look to have rattled the ladies as they recovered from a bad day 1 to overpower Papua New Guinea and qualify for the main cup knockouts.
In a rematch with Belgium in the quarterfinals, the ladies had a game plan to put the fear of God in the flag copycats from Europe and thy did just that. The win put them in the top four.
Coach Onen aimed to make just the main cup quarters, and the ladies gave him one better. In all of this, we have to overstate the importance of having Captain Peace Lekuru and Pacer Grace Nabaggala, who, whenever the going got tough, were on the front line pushing the Lady Cranes beyond the gain line.
The quarterfinal against Belgium was all sorts of exceptional – Yvonne Najjuma isolated on the wing, only for her to seat her opponent and get the next tackler in hot sauce (red card), Grace Nabaggala bang bang and through for the try, Peace Lekuru show and go for the try, and that dazzling footwork from Grace to score the try that proved vital and the winner.
We can’t wait for Uruguay in March.
2. Adrian Kasito to the rescue
The most famous photo of Adrian Kasito was taken at Kampala Rugby Grounds (Legends) when he grounded for Uganda against Zimbabwe to win and defend the Africa 7s crown in 2017.
The pocket rocket has grown by leaps and bounds since then. The rugby cranes had a tournament to forget in Dubai. The exploits in Dubai mirror their worst-ever outing (Uruguay 2020).
In an offence that often looked blunt and needed a game changer, up rose Adrian Kasito with a colossal bust of pace to punch Uganda beyond the gain line. From line breaks to speed busts down the wing, jackals to overturn possession, and tackles to stop the opposition, Adrian Kasito did it all.
With Aaron Ofoywroth flexing on clutches towards the end of the Dubai edition of the 7s Challenger Series, we will need Adrian’s top-tier game IQ to be the fulcrum about which the Rugby Cranes play now more than ever.
3. Hello, my name is Daniel Malcolm Okello
Switched from his favoured flyhalf role into the back three, Daniel Malcolm Okello stayed just as lethal for the Platinum Credit Heathens as ever.
The weekend before last, Josiah Sempeke made headlines after that last play, which got KCB KOBs the win over the Stanbic Black Pirates.
Daniel walked into Josiah’s house (after the venue change) and served himself a glass of juice while making an omelette.
Daniel kicked so well that reports from across the swamp indicate Hollywood is on the lookout for him to succeed Michael Jai White as the next black, kicking movie star.
The fullback scored 20 points off the boot with six penalties and a conversion to ensure the defending champions, Heathens, remained on course to retain the Uganda Cup title.
4. The Rapids on the Nile are ferocious
Is it safe to surf the rapids on the river Nile?
“Surfing the rapids on the Nile River can be an exhilarating and adventurous experience, but it comes with inherent risks. The safety of such activities depends on various factors, including your skill level, experience, equipment, and the specific section of the river you’re considering.”
The Black Pearls found out the hard way that Nile Rapids are in this for a long time. The reasonably new side (from Jinja) drove into the Kings Park Arena, lifted the dust and left with all the pearls, treasure and a 26-27 win from the Black Pearls.
They will be making their maiden Uganda Cup final appearance against defending champions, Avengers, who saw off Thunderbirds in a nailbiting 11-10 win.
5. Get some protection to avoid last-minute surprises
The Lifeguard Rams have been on a rampage. In the group stages, only the Heathens beat them. They went to Walukuba and beat the Barbarians in their own backyard. They were hosted by Impis, their landlords, and knocked them in the teeth in the quarterfinals.
The semifinal against the Mongers was crazier. Mongers led with a margin as big as 16-03. But, at full time, the Rams had pierced through the Mongers’ defence and levelled matters.
After extra time, there was nothing to separate the two teams, tied at 19-all. It was time for the coin toss. It was the second time it was coming out in as many years (2022 semifinal between KOBs and Heathens being the last time).
The choice for protection by the Rams paid off, as the toss was in their favour. This went a long way to validate that it is only safe when it is on.
Rams and Heathens will meet this weekend in the Uganda Cup final; in a rematch of their group stages game, Nile Rapids will dare to topple the Avengers and win their first-ever Uganda Cup title as the National 7s teams (both men and women) will be in ice baths trying to cool down from the events in Dubai.
Courtesy Photos
