Rugby Cranes keep eye on Harare result
What you need to know:
Rugby. Namibia are atop the log with five points with Uganda on one, earned for scoring more than four tries. One of Kenya or Zimbabwe will move into second today.
KAMPALA. It’s common, easy and sane for teams to say “we are only focusing on ourselves.” Rugby Cranes can claim the same after all.
However, they cannot claim not to care about the outcome of the games in this year’s Africa Cup tier 1A competition, prime among them being today’s visit of Kenya to Zimbabwe.
It’s the tournament opener for both teams. The four-team event, also the 16th edition, will be decided on a round-robin. The top side become African champions while the bottom team will be relegated to 1B next month. Avoiding the latter remains the realistic target for Uganda having lost the opening fixture at home last Saturday.
Tries from Philip Wokorach (2), Joseph Aredo, Brian Odongo and Pius Ogena were insufficient to prevent a 40-31 loss to Namibia at Kyadondo.
While coach John Duncan’s Rugby Cranes will not cheer for either Kenya or Zimbabwe, the beaten side may become Uganda’s direct opponents in avoiding an immediate slide to the Tier 1B.
“We just have to keep improving and working to compete with everyone,” captain Odongo said. That message is short and candid without having to emphasise the enormity of the task.
As the per ranking system adopted at the end of 2015, Namibia and Zimbabwe got two home matches while Kenya, who finished third, and Uganda, promoted from Division 1B, host one match each. Uganda travel to Zimbabwe next week before visiting Kenya on July 30 desperate to dress the wounds opened by last month’s 48-10 Elgon Cup mauling at the hands of the latter.
