Another World Cup call for Lady Cranes
Buteme (R) touches down against Tunisia during the 2009 WC qualifiers held at Kyadondo. PHOTO BY EDDIE CHICCO
What you need to know:
The Ugandan side have made the World Cup once, 2009 in Dubai, but their exploits then were not impressive.
KAMPALA
Stage fright will be the least of worries for Lady Cranes when they take part in the Women’s 7s Rugby World Cup qualifiers due this weekend in Morocco. At least half of the team have been to the big stage.
Charlotte Mudoola, Prossy Nakakande, Brenda Kayiyi, Helen Buteme, Rosenburg Kanyunyuzi and Winnie Atyang, who form the core of the team travelling to Rabat, played at the 2009 World Cup in Dubai.
That’s probably why skipper Buteme is optimistic. “Morale in the camp is way up there,” Buteme said after the team’s last training session at Kyadondo grounds on Monday. “We feel good and we are determined to qualify.”
The side has been training under coach Anthony Kinene for the past seven weeks. Buteme is hopeful such hard work will pay off when they take on Cameroon, Zimbabwe and Senegal in Pool D of the qualifiers on Saturday and Sunday. “We will play each game like a final,” she promised.
To make the World Cup due next year in Russia, the Lady Cranes must win five straight games in Morocco. To qualify for the 2009 World Cup, the Ugandan side were lucky to play the qualifiers at home.
They posted some impressive results at Kyadondo, including a 46-0 whitewash of Botswana. But their results in Dubai were unimpressive. They lost heavily to New Zealand (58-00) in the first pool game and suffered another 24-00 loss to South Africa. The two losses preceded narrow defeats to Italy (10-7) and Brazil in the Bowl quarters (10-7).
