Uganda 63 – Zimbabwe 7
Uganda entered the tournament as the favorite to win, and Zimbabwe was also no stranger to victory, which made it seem as though Zimbabwe was blocking Uganda’s path to the gold medals. However, the game turned out to be a surprisingly easy run for the Uganda Cranes, who crossed the Lady Sables’ try line over seven times, along with successful conversions.
The Uganda Lady Cranes finished the tournament unbeaten and boasted a high scoring margin against all their opponents. The game was nearly a one-sided matchup, with Zimbabwe failing to hold off Uganda’s forwards, who fiercely attacked their defense to pave the way for the running backs to score tries. It was a tough showing for the Zimbabwean side, which had high hopes coming into the tournament.
Tunisia 34 – 0 Côte d’Ivoire
On the other hand, Tunisia completed the tournament with two wins against Zimbabwe and the host country. The tournament was a growth point for the Côte d’Ivoire side, which completed the entire tournament with only one try and one conversion, scoring 8 points in all three games played. Tunisia finished second at the tournament with two wins, Zimbabwe third with one win and lastly, Côte d’Ivoire.
What’s Next for Uganda?
It was an exciting evening for the Lady Cranes, who last competed in an international rugby 15s tournament two years ago. However, prior to the tournament, the rugby 7s team was withdrawn from the Kraków, Poland HBSC SVNS and added to the other national team call-ups for the 15s. This provided the team with a significant boost, considering that the 7s team had been vibrant in tournaments across the continent for much of last year and early this year.
The team will proceed to play at the Rugby Africa Women’s Cup later this year, which will be held in Kampala, Uganda. It will compete against other well-seasoned teams on the continent: South Africa, Kenya, and Madagascar.
