Uganda to host Africa Men’s 7s

Decision Makers. The officials at the launch in Munyonyo on March 3, 2022. PHOTO/JOHN BATANUDDE

By  EMANZI NDYAMUHAKI

What you need to know:

  • The Barthes U20 Trophy to be played in Kenya, the Africa Women’s Sevens  and the Rugby Africa Cup in France are the other tournaments lined up on the Rugby Africa Calender this year

The last time Uganda hosted the Africa Sevens Championship in Kampala, the Rugby Cranes defeated Zimbabwe 10-7 to lift the title and went on to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in San Francisco, USA.

The same championship comes to Kampala next month and that was on the agenda as Rugby Africa launched the 2022 calendar of activities at Speke Resort, Munyonyo on Thursday morning. Rugby Africa president Khaled Babbou, vice president Andrew Owor, Kenya Rugby Union president Geoffrey Oduor Gangla, Ivory Coast Rugby president Dr. Elvis Tano and Uganda Rugby Union president Godwin Kayangwe are some of the guests that graced the event.

Africa Cup in France
The Barthes U20 Trophy to be played in Kenya, the Africa Women’s Sevens  and the Rugby Africa Cup in France are the other tournaments lined up on the Rugby Africa Calender this year. The last stretch of the Africa Cup will be played out of Africa for the first time in history and this formed most of the debate later at the event. General Director France 2023 Claude Atcher, revealed in a recorded video that France would provide African teams with world class facilities and global media coverage. Babbou revealed it did not matter where the qualifiers are played. 
“Whatever will happen in the future, we shall sit and evaluate,” he said when asked about moving the tournament. 

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Owor urged Africans to focus on the positives associated with playing in France. Kenya is one of the three African that were overlooked in favour of France and KRU Chairman  Oduor Gangla revealed he was ‘disappointed’ his nation was not handed the opportunity to host.
Zimbabwe and Namibia are the other two African countries that were interested in hosting the event. Uganda’s Kayangwe said: “No. We don’t like the idea but given the circumstances, it was understandable.”

AFRICA CALENDAR 
U20 Barthés Trophy 
Venue: Nairobi, Kenya 
Dates: April 9 - 17, 2022
Africa Men’s 7s 
Venue: Kyadondo RFC, Uganda 
Dates: April 23- 24, 2022
Africa Women’s 7s :
Venue: Tunisia
Dates: April 29,30
Rugby Africa Cup 
Venue: Marseilles,  France 
Dates: July 1- July 10 

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