Women to curtain raise Uganda-Tunisia tie
Two ‘franchise’ Ugandan women teams will face off in a curtain raiser for the Uganda-Tunisia Africa Gold Cup game at Legends.
KAMAPALA. In the past, the annual Elgon Cup duel between Uganda and Kenya was a buffet of rugby involving both men and women’s teams from both countries.
But for three years now, the women haven’t been playing. This starvation has been majorly due to Kenyan women’s major shift of priority from 15s to 7s, plus Uganda’s ‘laxity’ in funding women’s rugby.
However, this year is a different story. Two ‘franchise’ Ugandan women teams will face off in a curtain raiser for the Uganda-Tunisia Africa Gold Cup game at Legends.
Edgar Lemerigar and Leon Rwitare shall be the coaches. “We have been training and hopefully we shall curtain-raise at all Uganda’s remaining games, starting tomorrow,” Lemerigar told us after taking the teams through a Thursday night training session at Kyadondo.
These will play a maximum of three curtain-raisers because Uganda also faces Namibia and Zimbabwe at home.
Lemerigar welcomes this arrangement, well aware that it puts the women in good stead for the upcoming Africa Women’s 7s Cup which will be held in Tunisia in September.
“It helps. We have called up many players from all parts of the country, which will enable us gauge their readiness by September,” he added.
The group is a mix of experience and youthfulness. Winnie Atyang, Harriet Kayonjo, Rosenberg Kanyunyuzi, who all played at the 7s World Cup in 2009, are included, alongside youngsters like Samiya Ayikoru, Grace Auma and Peace Wokorach.
