Lady Cranes fall short in WC bid

Kenya celebrate winning the Rugby Africa Women's Cup pool B. PHOTO/JOHN BATANUDDE 

What you need to know:

Burkina Faso, Cameroon and Ivory Coast are the other teams still standing in the tournament that also acts as qualifier for the 2023 Women's Rugby World Cup.

Kenya will join South Africa, Madagascar and whoever emerges from Pool D of the 2022 Rugby Africa Women's Cup after bossing Pool B at Muteesa II Stadium, Wankulukuku.

Burkina Faso, Cameroon and Ivory Coast are the other teams still standing in the tournament that also acts as qualifier for the 2023 Women's Rugby World Cup.

Under perfect weather conditions, the stage was set for Kenya and hosts Uganda to get hold of the lone spot but the former proved the far better side on the day.

It took Uganda ages to visit Kenya’s half with a big chunk of the opening phases played in Uganda’s territory.

It was from those exchanges that Kenya Lionesses got ahead with a try from Ann Goretti.

The Kenyans would stretch their lead to 8-0 after Gorreti added a penalty to send the game into a breather.

Uganda showed some metal after the break but Kenya would once again punish them with Grace Adhiambo drop goal to make it 11-0.

Uganda finally got their first points courtesy of a Charlotte Mudoola penalty and those were Uganda’s only points from the game.

Christabel Lindo and Rose Otieno tries ensured Kenya go for the kill to wrap it up in style as Gorreti added the extras to tally 23 points.

Uganda has a lot to learn from the competition. After an encouraging display against Zambia, they looked out of their depth against Kenya.

The back three could deal with the highball while the lineouts were scrappy. Uganda also opted to play from the wrong places and did not take good care of the ball, giving Kenya the upper hand.

"Their territory kicking did them well and we lost our lineouts on top of not playing to our structures,” said Uganda’s coach Leo Lubambula in the post-match interview.

Kenya’s coach Dennis Mwanja got his tactics spot on and reaped big to progress into the next stage.  

Rugby Africa Women’s Cup

Pool B results

Uganda 36-17 Zambia

Zambia 17-36 Kenya

Kenya 23-3 Uganda