Uganda eager to join table of men

Collins Injera, Dan Norton, Santiago Gomez Cora, Ben Collings, DJ Forbes, Waisale Serevi, Cecil Afrika and Seabelo Senatla hardly need an introduction.

Those and a few others have defined the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series since its inception at the back end of the last millennium. It’s the ultimate table of men.

Argentine’s Cora and Fijian Serevi retired while Senatla switched codes from 7s to 15s this year but they left inedible marks on the 10- leg circuit. Uganda will this weekend seek to join that class that play on the 10-leg tour with global audiences in excesses of 760m people.

Rugby Cranes need to beat 11 others to join the 2017-18 circuit which guarantees trips to Dubai, Cape Town, Wellington, Sydney, Las Vegas, Hong Kong, Singapore, Paris and London. Teams compete for the World Rugby Sevens Series title by accumulating points based on their finishing position in each tournament. New Zealand had originally dominated the Series, winning each of the first six titles from 1999–2000 to 2004–05, but since then, Fiji, South Africa and Samoa have each won season titles.

Reward
Winning games or even the overall title doesn’t come with prize money but with the television audience which the World Series commands, the ripple effect is enormous.

Take for example Kenya whose 7s teams is currently one of the 15 ‘core teams’ having joined the circuit back in 2001.
While they waited until the 2015-16 season for their first tournament win which came during the Singapore leg, the rewards have been enormous. Using 7s as a springboard, Kenya Rugby Football Union (KRFU) has attracted sponsorships from SportPesa, Dasani, Tusker, Zuku, Safaricom and Isuzu among others. This has enabled Kenya contract their players and hire the best coaches. In addition, Humphrey Kayange and his younger brother Injera, have became more than household name.

Kayange became an ambassador as rugby sought Olympic reinstatement while the pair are also endorsed companies such as Safaricom. Neither is as pleasing on the eye as Uganda’s Philip Wokorach… You get the drift!

ALL TIME RECORDS
Most titles: New Zealand (6)

Most tries: Collins Injera (Kenya) and Dan Norton (England) 244

Most Points: Ben Gollings (England) 2, 652

Most Appearances: DJ Forbes (New Zealand) 85

This Season: South Africa have played in all 6 final, winning 5

THE RUGBY CRANES 7s PROFILES

ERIC KASIITA
Role: Captain
DOB: November 5, 1990
Club: Toyota Buffaloes
Position: Hooker
Height: 1.71m
Weight: 86kgs
Short Profile: The ever reliable captain has been a pillar in this team. No wonder Tolbert Onyango has trusted him with the captaincy all this long. He has the ability to help the young players adapt at the big stage and he leads by example from the front especially in defence.

MICHAEL WOKORACH
Role: Vice Captain
DOB: August, 14, 1990
Club: Hima Cement Heathens
Position: Center
Height: 1.86m
Weight: 89kgs
Short Profile: Oldest lad in the side. Valuable asset to the side considering that he has played and travelled almost everywhere in the world hence carrying with him vast experience to the young side. His scoring record is not bad either. But his biggest role will be to turn into a role model and play perfect big brother.

LAWRENCE SSEBULIBA
DOB: December, 24, 1994
Club: Hima Cement Heathens
Position: Winger Height: 1.72m
Weight: 86kgs
Short Profile: Strong, fast and fearless, Ssebuliba can rip up any defence on his day. His try against Japan in Cape Town shows he can be as destructive as devastating. Uganda will hugely rely on him for tries because of his blistering pace and ability to break tackles.

TIMOTHY KISIGA
DOB: February12, 1996
Club: Black Pirates
Position: Winger
Height: 1.75m
Weight: 70kgs
Short Profile: A surprise inclusion in the side after just a fortnight of training, Kisiga is a fast, brilliant and willing runner. His interplay with teammates can be rewarding as he utilizes the smallest of spaces in opponents’ lines. He also has an eye for the try line considering his form on the local scene.

BYRON OKETAYOT
DOB: November, 15, 1995
Club: Shell Rimula Rhinos
Position: Prop
Height: 1.86m
Weight: 80kgs
Short Profile: Few knew about him one year ago, but the strong man from Gulu has made a case for himself ever since he won his first Test cap. It took little time for 7s coach Onyango to notice his exploits. A hard worker who is willing to learn every day, Oketayot will go places.

PHILLIP WOKORACH
DOB: December, 31, 1993
Club: Hima Cement Heathens/Kabras Sugar
Position: Fly-half Height: 1.87m
Weight: 86kgs
Short Profile: Born for the big stage, Wokorach has also seizes all his opportunities to sparkle. He is an ‘ankle breaker/twister’ that glides past defenders with some finesse. Dubai and Cape Town labelled him as the poster boy of the side after that try against USA which was Uganda’s first in the series last year. Crowd favourite.

RAMATHAN GOVULE
DOB: February, 12, 1994
Club: Betway Kobs
Position: Prop
Height: 1.80m
Weight: 84kgs
Short Profile: ‘Fijian’ as his peers and local rugby fraternity refers to him, Govule is a prized asset in the side. He loves to keep the ball as he evades tacklers for fun. The Betway Kobs player’s only weakness is when he holds onto the ball for a little longer than is necessary sometimes but the boy moves. Expect deceptive runs and dummies.

FRED ODUR
DOB: April, 15, 1993
Club: Toyota Buffaloes
Position: Fly-half
Height: 1.73m
Weight: 76kgs
Short Profile: Another 7s debutant, who has been knocking on the selection door for sometime until his call up. Odur will be eager to showcase his ‘proven’ talent at the big stage and hopeful stage fright does not get the better of him. A clever kicker blessed with the ability to go past defenders effortlessly, he can help build on Uganda’s growing reputation in the 7s world.

ADRIAN KASIITO
DOB: October, 30, 1995
Club: Betway Kobs
Position: Scrum-half
Height: 1.69m
Weight: 70kgs
Short Profile: Broke into the Sevens fold last year and the rest has been history. Makes up for his pint-sized frame by giving 110 per cent every time he steps onto the field. One of the best defenders in the side whose additional asset - searing pace - will get the fans on their feet. Anyone recalls his try against Kenya in the Africa Cup semifinals.

PIUS OGENA
DOB: October, 30, 1994
Club: Toyota Buffaloes
Position: Prop
Height: 1.83m
Weight: 83kgs
Short Profile: His raw power and willingness to put in heavy shifts is unrivalled. Ogena is also gifted with the ability to cover lots of ground. His work rate will be key especially in games of high intensity. He also boasts of an impressive record in the 15s code of the game where he has touched down for the national side - The Rugby Cranes - a number of times.

MARVIN ODONGO
DOB: November 12, 1992
Club: Black Pirates
Position: Prop
Height: 1.90m
Weight: 87kgs
Short Profile: His strength and clever thinking will give the team a cutting edge. At 1.90m and 87kgs, Odongo’s size will also play a role in both defence and attack. He might not be the fastest but he can afford to leave a number trailing. He is also a natural leader.

SOLOMON OKIA
DOB: October, 14, 1996
Club: Toyota Buffaloes
Position: Scrum-half
Height: 1.74m
Weight: 75kgs
Short Profile: The complete 7s players with long pacy legs that help him leave defenders crawling in his wake. Okia has been part of the 7s side for a while now, gaining coach Onyango’s trust over time. Certainly, a man any coach would love to have on his side.

THE TEAM OFFICIALS

HEAD COACH
Full Name: Tolbert Onyango
Nationality: Kenyan

TEAM DOCTOR
Full Name: Noah Benjamin Kayongo
Nationality: Ugandan

TEAM MANAGER
Full Name: Michael Wandera
Nationality: Ugandan

Profiles by Deus Bugembe