Only eight ruggers remain from team that lifted CAR in 2007

As the Rugby Cranes travel to Tunisia for the Confederation of African Rugby (CAR) Africa Cup, Score’s Ismail Dhakaba Kigongo traces what became of the team that won the same competition in 2007, beating hosts Madgascar 42-11 in the final.

Ronald Adigasi

Adigasi is still part of the national set-up despite having little time to play for his Sadolin Mongers in the Nile Special Rugby Premier League. The loose-head prop works at the airport with Entebbe Handling Services. Alex Mubiru

Mubiru regards himself as the best hooker in the region. He is employed in the IT industry and has been part of Rugby Cranes for a decade now. He is also the MTN Heathens captain and the Kyadondo side has now won four successive titles.

Kenneth Mutabaruka
After Mutabaruka vacated his national team front row position at the end of 2008, utl Kobs lost him too to legal practice.

Victor Wadia
Written off several times, Wadia still combines his work at Seacom, a data company, with playing for Kobs and Rwenzori and still eligible for the national team.

Ronald Mwisaka
The lock is a banker working upcountry which curtails his appearances for Heathens and Uganda.

Robert Seguya
Since his debut in 1999, Seguya, a blindside flanker, has continued to compete. He left Heathens at the end of last year after 12 years to join Toyota Buffaloes. As coach/player, Seguya, an employee with Toyota, helped Buffaloes finish fourth, their highest position in the league to-date. A hand injury has kept him away this year though he vows to play on once healthy.

Mathias Ochwo
The businessman, like most of his teammates in their positions back then, is arguably the best back row.
Ochwo has continued to play for both Heathens and Uganda, captaining the latter for a second year running.

Moses Soita
Soita, the best line out jumper at his peak, completely disappeared from the rugby scene after 2009.
G4S Pirates and Rugby Cranes lost him to his career as a financial management consultant.

Anthony Kinene
Kinene is widely regarded as the fittest player here. The utility back kicked 21 points in the final and is still the first choice with the boot for Pirates and Uganda. The engineer has had a tough year with the boot but remains a vital cog controlling the scrum.

Edmond Tumusiime
The flirt with retirement for three years, dating back to 2009, is over and Tumusiime is again dictating the tempo for Kobs, Rwenzori and Uganda. The telecommunications engineer with Orange claims to be wiser and many regard him as the best no. 10 here.

Bonny Morro
Though still active with Rhino, Morro was never the same player after Madagascar but at least he still has the energy and drive to play.

Tony Luggya
Dr. Stone has made cameo appearances for Kobs this year and last played for Uganda in the Africa Cup tier 1B in 2011 at first centre.

Timothy Mudoola (Stand-in captain)
Injuries have curtailed the influence of the fire fighter on the flanks, centre and wing that Mudoola is. He led Uganda on to the pitch on the memorable day and is a former Kobs captain. Mudoola works with an NGO in Jinja.

Allan Musoke
Year on year, Musoke retires and returns but a testimonial in his honour last month sealed it this time for winger. Having played for Kobs and the national team, until last year, Musoke works in the Human Resource Department at Finance Trust Uganda and plays basketball for DMark Power.

John Musoke
Musoke has served Ugandan rugby as much as Seguya. The utility player, who has played on the back row, fly-half, centre and fullback is still active with Rhino. He also coaches Rhino, Rwenzori and the national 7s team in addition to managing a procurement and logistics business.

SUBSTITUTES
Dennis Etuket for J. Musoke
Etuket is still an active player for Pirates and Rugby Cranes though his position in the latter has mainly been as a substitute. The wing works with Stanbic Bank and plans to get married soon.

Brian Tabaruka for A. Musoke
When everyone was celebrating after the final whistle, Tabaruka walked into the locker-room to tell his teammates about his imminent retirement. He played on at Heathens until retiring at the end of 2010 to become the coach. The architect with Knight Frank is also the Rugby Cranes team manager.

Felix Lubega for B. Morro
Then a student at medical school, Lubega is now a doctor working in Entebbe. After the 2007 conquest, he scored 16 tries in the league the following season for Pirates. He suffered knee injuries in February 2009 and only returned to the game last year.

Allan Masiko for A. Kinene
One of the youngsters of the side at the time, Matsiko is no longer playing for either Kobs or Uganda due to a busy work schedule at URA.

Joel Anguyo for R. Mwisaka
Anguyo has been in and out of team for the past four years. More importantly, he is now in as one of eight survivors from Madagascar. He left Kobs for Pirates and works with Dimension Data.

Roger Rukundo for V. Wadia
Rukundo, a close friend of Tumusiime, didn’t play much for Rugby Cranes after 2007 and continued briefly for Kobs. The forward works with Unilever.

Solomon Mawanda for K. Mutabaruka
Mawanda has played his entire rugby in the shadow of Mubiru except at Pirates where he is captain the team’s first choice hooker. He is the last surviving member of the 2007 class and is part of GSG Land & Property Services.

INJURED:
Fred Mudoola
The older of the Mudoola brothers, a prop, suffered a shoulder injury in Madagascar and never played again. He is now in his second spell as coach of Kobs after his first ended with a ban following the 2008 Makerere 10s. Mudoola is a student of accounting (CPA) and an employee of National Water and Sewerage Corporation.

Adrian Bukenya
The captain of the national team missed the final due to injury but still played on until leaving in 2009. The forward was also Kobs captain and later became Club Captain and still serves on the executive.
In addition, he works with Tullow Oil and is a rugby commentator for SuperSport.

Coach: Yayiro Kasasa
Kasasa has been part of the set-up since 2002 and was reappointed head coach after a dismal 2010 season when Uganda lost at home to Kenya for the first time in five years.