Unmasking Rugby Cranes’ Africa Cup 1B opponents
The Rugby Cranes dugout was on its feet throughout the entire 80 minutes as the home side rallied from a 12-point deficit at the breather to upstage Kenya A 30-25 in the return leg match of the Elgon Cup last month.
PHOTO BY EDDIE CHICCO
KAMPALA. It’s over a decade since Uganda won the Rugby Africa Cup 1B event held in Nairobi to open a whole new chapter for the game here.
A Herbert Wafula-led team stunned hosts Kenya 32-22 in 2002 at the Rugby Football Union of East Africa (RFUEA) ground in what many equate to being the turning point for rugby. That success acted as a springboard for a first Elgon Cup triumph over Kenya four years later and the Africa Cup, the top associate tournament, in 2007.
Fast forward, on to 2015. Rugby Cranes are back to where they were 13 years ago not needing to travel for over half a day to a game.
Uganda host the same event, 1B, here starting tomorrow, with the tables having turned in the last 4, 745 days. Back then, rugby was on the rise.
Today, it’s been a downward spiral that has seen Rugby Cranes slide from 1A eight years ago to IC in 2013 before the Confederation of Africa Rugby (CAR) decided to expand 1B.
Ivory Coast, Senegal, Botswana, Madagascar and Mauritius will constitute the hurdles but how much do we even know about Uganda’s rivals for promotion to 1A in a one bullet scenario?
Ivorian giants
Having been to the Rugby World Cup (RWC) exactly two decades ago makes Ivory Coast the most illustrious of the six countries in this week-long tournament.
Their size is intimidating in a manner that four-time African Footballer of the Year Yaya Toure towers over Barcelona ace Anders Iniesta.
That’s what got them to South Africa in 1995. Their record defeat, 89-0 against Scotland, led to some questioning the presence of the minor teams at the tournament.
After that, Ivory Coast took a three years break from international competition, only returning for the 1999 RWC qualifiers.
In 2001, the Elephants returned to the Africa Championship, losing twice to Morocco, beating and drawing with Tunisia once each.
Like most flings, the West Africans have deteriorated badly since and are now ranked 48th, six places ahead of Uganda.
It’s during the 2011 RWC that Uganda first faced the Ivorians. Rugby Cranes beat them 30-7 in a show of how sleek passing and movement can slice through bigger opponents. An 18-7 loss in Abidjan saved face for the fancied opponents who always call upon players from the lower divisions of rugby in France. More recently, they scored a last minute try to beat Uganda 21-19 during last year’s 1B event in Tunisia.
Pain from Dakar via Tunis
Senegal are the top ranked team among the six. At 40, five places better than Madagascar’s Markis in second, they must feel like favourites.
They are a founder member of the Confederation of African Rugby (CAR), which was launched officially in January 1986, in Tunis, Tunisia. Rugby officials from Tunisia, Morocco, Ivory Coast, Tanzania, Kenya, the Seychelles and Madagascar attended.
By 2005, the national Rugby championships comprised just five clubs, all of them made up of French immigrants.
Eight years later, there were 12 clubs, and all but one of them was fully Senegalese. In 2014, 18 clubs came to at least one of the national championships, whether it be men’s, women’s, 15s or 7s.
The Senegalese union identified players of Senegal origin in France, and tried to build a stronger national team with expats to raise the profile of the game.
In wing Max Brito, who played for Ivory Coast at the 1995 RWC, they have a sad story to tell as his accident in South Africa left him paralyzed to this day.
The Lions of Teranga have faced Uganda once, winning 32-31 last year in the game that sent the latter to 1C before the review by CAR.
Speedy Markis
Madagascar played their first ever international rugby match in 1970, where they met Italy, losing 9-17 and 6-9. Their first international win came in 1987, defeating Kenya 22-16. During 2001 Madagascar competed for the first time in the Africa qualification tournaments for the 2003 RWC, exiting in round 3, losing to Namibia and Zimbabwe.
In 2007, Uganda beat the Markis, then hosts of the 2007 Africa Cup, 42-11 in the final to lift the trophy.
The visit of Madagascar to today’s Legends in 2008 was Felix Lubega’s revelation party. The wing powered his way to scoring two tries in a 32-22 victory.
Their one win over Uganda in six attempts was huge, a 48-32 result in Antananarivo two years ago.
Speed is their biggest weapon to make up for what they lack in size.
Cold Gaborone
Botswana played their first ever international in 1996, against Zimbabwe, losing 130-10. Their first win came in 2001 in a match against Swaziland, winning 13-3.
In 2004, Botswana won four internationals in a row, defeating Tanzania, Swaziland, Nigeria and Mali.
In the two games against Uganda, Rugby have beaten Botswana 56-7 (2002) and 27-10 (2008), the latter in extremely cold weather having lived in squalid conditions in the lead up to the game.
They are ranked 66th, 12 places lower than Uganda.
New Islanders
Being the lowest ranked among the six contenders at 87 tells you everything you want to know about Mauritius. The islanders won the 1C event last year.
That perhaps is testament of their rise as they beat Botswana to get here.
They could be the whipping boys but it’s until anyone plays them that you can judge.
