Remember the seven Uganda Rugby Cranes players who spent three months in South Africa undertaking a high-performance program with Blue Bulls Rugby Club in preparation for the 2024 men’s Rugby Africa Cup?
They were attached to Harlequin Rugby Club and played in the Carlton Cup before returning home for the Africa Cup in July.
Quins and @janniebrooks in partnership with Uganda rugby, working towards the @RWC2027 @Hollywoodbets @UgandaRugby pic.twitter.com/rsCmO2TbJY
— Quins SA (@QBRugby) May 6, 2024
A week after the tournament in which Uganda finished fifth, the seven reported back in Pretoria for a continuation of the high-performance program.
“Seven players returned to the original High Performance program in South Africa. This is a continuation of the previous High Performance program that pre-dated the Rugby Africa Cup,” Uganda Rugby Union (URU) Communications chief Shafiq Kiyaga wrote to Kawowo Sports in an email on Tuesday evening.
The seven players did not change for this second phase of the program. They are Santos Senteza, Asuman Mugerwa, Faragi Odugo, Eliphaz Emong, Sydney Gongodyo, Byron Oketayot, and Conrad Wanyama.
“They are expected to return Friday 23rd August to continue preps with the rest of NT (Rugby Cranes national team) for Tunisia Tests and Elgon/Victoria Cup Tests.”
The Tunisia and Elgon/Victoria Cup tests mentioned above are scheduled for the October-November international test window.
However, at the moment, the Rugby Cranes are not in active training. The local calendar is now on the national 7s series in which two rounds have so far been played.
Of the seven, only Odugo and Oketayot (KOBs) plus Gongodyo and Wanyama (Pirates) featured in the 7s series last season. It should not come as a surprise when they make their first appearances.
___
Source here