Lady Cranes 7s to sign one-year contracts

In a momentous move that could elevate the level of the national women’s rugby sevens team, players are going to be handed one-year performance-based contracts.

The Lady Cranes 7s will receive their contracts in January, 2024. Last week, the women became the first Ugandan side to win the Kenya Safari Sevens.  

The Uganda Rugby Union (URU) and their sponsors – Nile Special – are hoping this move will have the same effect it has had on the men’s side.

These contracts guarantee players a monthly stipend that demands that they dedicate more time to training and tournaments with almost all the players playing the game outside of their day jobs.

The Rugby Cranes 7s have won three Africa Rugby Sevens titles in the past seven years and been to two successive Rugby World Cup tournaments.

Coach Tolbert Onyango has since established categories A, B and C where players can move up and down depending on performances.

His counterpart with the Lady Cranes, Charles Onen, now has to do the same.  

“Of course, it’s a significant thing as they have been lagging behind,” URU chairman Godwin Kayangwe said.

“Once you sort out the welfare of players and technical team, you expect better results. The technical team now has to step up and demand that players deliver.

“They asked for money and we are giving them that. They have been getting an allowance, now it’s more,” he added.

Nile Breweries Limited (NBL) rewarded the team with Shs32m for the Kenya Safari Sevens triumph and their marketing director Majok Amou thinks they can do more.

“For the first time, a Ugandan team emerged triumphant in the 26 years of the tournament. That's no mean feat,” Amou commented.

“Strategically, this is a deliberate direction to reinforce diversity and inclusion. We would like to see the women in the sport thrive in an environment where they are given equal opportunities,” she added.

Both the men and women’s sides are in the running for slots at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France.

To get there, the sides have to play in the 2024 HSBC World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series and the Olympic Repechage tournament.

The teams will travel to Dubai in mid-January for their first assignment with trips to Uruguay, Poland and Spain on the horizon. 

2024 HSBC World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series

Dubai, UAE: January 12-14 (men and women)

Montevideo, Uruguay: March 8-10 (men and women)

Krakow, Poland: May 18-19 (women)

Munich, Germany: May 18-19 (men)