Onyango wants his 7s stars to be competitive
New Role. Coaches John Duncan and Robert Seguya will today field mercurial Phillip Wokorach (with ball) at No. 10. File photo
What you need to know:
- Phillip Wokorach was the star attraction when Uganda got invites for the Dubai and Cape Town legs last year after being crowned African Champions and he is desperate to pick up from where he stopped.
KAMPALA.
Rugby 7s Cranes coach Tolbert Onyango wants his troops to put a brave fight and compete instead of being tourists when they make a bow in the HSBC World Rugby Series qualifiers in Hong Kong next Friday.
The team departs for the ‘tourney of their lives’ today to take a shot at gaining core status. But going past Jamaica, Tonga and Germany in Pool E should be their first task to accomplish if they want to become regulars at the short version’s biggest stage next season.
“We have to compete,” Onyango told Sunday Monitor. “I am sure I have chosen a side that can compete at the highest level and everyone knows what they are required to do,” he asserted.
His message has already got to his players who want to seize the opportunity and make a name for themselves with the world watching.
“I am expected to put in a solid performance that can ensure we win the tournament and get core status,” debutante Marvin Odongo told this paper after learning he had won Onyango’s trust to don the Cranes stripe at the prestigious Hong Kong Sevens.
Phillip Wokorach was the star attraction when Uganda got invites for the Dubai and Cape Town legs last year after being crowned African Champions and he is desperate to pick up from where he stopped.
“Just like anyone else on the team, I badly want to own the showcase and show what I can do on the big occasions because such moments define what kind of player you are. I love them,” he said.
Wokorach is also adamant that winning the qualifiers will make Uganda reap more than core status in the series but elevate Uganda rugby to a whole different level.
“If we qualify, our lives as rugby players will change, rugby in Uganda too will have to change,” he reasoned.
WORLD RUGBY SERIES QUALIFIERS
Pool E: Germany, Tonga, Uganda. Jamaica
Pool F: Hong Kong, Chile, Sri Lanka, Namibia
Pool G: Spain, PNG, Uruguay, Guyana
TEAM UGANDA
Ramathan Govule, Phillip , Eric Kasiita, Fred Odur, Timothy Kisiga, Lawrence Ssebuliba, Pius Ogena, Michael Wokorach, Adrian Kasito, Byron Oketayot, Solomon Okia & Marvin Odongo
