Women's rugby to feature at historic rugby 7s at Namboole

Black Panthers have won 2 Hima 7s circuits (at Makerere and at Kampala Rugby Club) and look poised to win the final leg at Namboole.

The fleet footed ladies have looked dominant this season and look to wrap up the 7s title as they already have the 10 aside and 15 aside titles under their belts. Beatrice Atim, Regina Athieno, Emmanuella Oroma, Charlotte Mudoola and Brenda Kayiyi have been key players for the women coached by Helen Buteme while stalwarts Thunderbirds' stalwarts Hadijah Namuyanja, Christine Kizito, Harriet Kayonjo, Aliya Adania, Winnie Atiang and Mary Kyoita coached by Robert Sseguya have tried to stem the tide.

Namboole stadium is the the place to be tomorrow as it will be the first time in uganda that rugby is played in a stadium. The action starts from 8am and will end at 8pm.

Kenya women retain Cup

The Lady Cranes team were involved in a bus accident on the way to Nairobi and narrowly escaped with their lives. As there were no major injuries, the team accepted the offer of another bus from their transporters, Kampala coach, and proceeded to Nairobi for the second leg of the Elgon Cup that took place on 10th July. In a puzzling move, none of the women's coaches travelled with the team, compelling former women's 7s coach, David Mutaka, to step into the coaching role in the second half of the game. Despite all these negative factors, the Ugandan women put up a spirited battle but Kenya's women ground out a 16-8 win which allowed them to win the series on aggregate, 21-16, and thus retain the Women's Elgon Cup.

Uganda opened the scoring when Christine Kizito put over a penalty on nine minutes, but Angela Olum cancelled out the lead as Kenya grew in stature towards the end of the first half.

After the break, Stacy Awuor's try gave Kenya the lead and, although Olum missed the conversion, Philadelphia Olando's score put them 13-3 ahead on 52 minutes.

Emanuella Oroma's try reduced the deficit to 13-8 for the visitors before Doreen Remuor's penalty took Kenya out to to 16-8, and 21-16 on aggregate.

It was a second successive Elgon Cup title for the Kenyan ladies.

Sources: http://www.irb.com/newsmedia/regional/newsid=2039422.html

http://www.kenyarfu.com/KRFU%20DOCS/August%202010%20Issue.pdf

http://www.newvision.co.ug/D/8/30/725536

Another close match between the East Africans

Lady Cranes pipped the Kenya women 8 - 5 in Kampala last Saturday to carry a slim 3 point lead into this Saturday's return leg in Nairobi. The Kenyans need to win by more than 4 points to ensure they retain the Elgon Cup that they won for the first time last year. Uganda needs only a draw but will be going for an all out win. The team travels by bus on Thursday.

The first half saw both teams squandering several try and penalty scoring opportunities and they went into the break tied at 0 - 0. In the second half Uganda broke the deadlock through Fortunate Irankunda. The conversion was missed and a couple of minutes later, Kenya hit back through their captain Celestine Masinde. The conversion was also missed and as the minutes wore down, Uganda mounted pressure on the Kenyans but were not able to cross the whitewash. Christine Kizito slotted home a penalty. The Ugandans made several more raids into Kenyan territory but were unable to score again. The game ended at 8 - 5.

Of concern to the Ugandans are poor field as well as goal kicks. Wayward lineout throws cost the Ugandans a lot of possession as well. On a good note, the back line has finally clicked and this is probably due to former Uganda flyhalf Ronnie Lutakome having taken over as the assistant coach. Bobby Musinguzi resigned due to work commitments. The scrum downs still remain solid but Uganda need to take advantage of their superiority in this area.

Ugandan team

1. Warry Nambirige
2. Fortunate Irankunda
3. Christine Kizito
4. Evelyn Aweku (vice captain)
5. Hellen Gizamba
6. Rosenburg Kanyunyuzi
7. Aaliya Adania
8. Josephine Namayega
9. Regina Athieno
10. Harriet Kayonjo
11. Prossy Nakakande (captain)
12. Beatrice Atim
13. Brenda Kayiyi
14. Charlotte Mudoola
15. Helen Buteme
16. Rebecca Akwenyu
17. Jackie Musoke
18. Winnie Atiang
19. Claire Anena
20. Asha Nakityo
21. Mary Kyoita
22. Hadijah Namuyanja

Coach – Henry Musoke

Assistant coach – Ronnie Lutakome

Team manager – Edmond Owor

Assistant team manager – Anne Sizomu Alan

Additional reporting at http://www.irb.com/newsmedia/regional/newsid=2039403.html#zimbabwe+kenya+enjoy+wins+africa

Women's rugby in EA survives - but only just

Women's rugby in East Africa survived a major blow as the Kenya Rugby Football Union (KRFU) had initially pulled out their women's team from this year's Elgon Cup. It is not the first time KRFU has done so as they pulled out their women from the 2007 Elgon Cup competition. It seems that sanity prevailed upon KRFU and they reversed their decision and there will be a women's Elgon Cup this year.

Judging from the international friendlies earlier this year (10 - 10 draw in Kampala and 8 -0 loss for the Lady Cranes in Nairobi), this year's Elgon Cup will be a closely contested affair. The team that makes the most of it's home advantage will take the cup this year.

All the best ladies.

Source: http://allafrica.com/stories/201006240679.html

Lady Cranes strive keep their home unbeaten record

After losing narrowly, 8 - 0, to the Kenyans during the return leg of the friendly internationals in Nairobi last month Lady Cranes are set to take on the Kenyans once again in a curtain raiser to the men's Elgon Cup. The Ugandans have never lost to the Kenyans at home and seek to maintain that record this Saturday. More details on the squad this week.

Team lists for the May 22nd friendly international in Nairobi

Due to last minute cancellations the Ugandan team travelled with 21 players.

The Ugandan team

1. Christine Kizito
2. Fortunate Irankunda
3. Warry Nambirige
4. Evelyn Aweku
5. Winnie Atyang
6. Aaliya Adania
7. Hellen Gizamba
8. Josephine Namayega
9. Regina Athieno*
10. Helen Buteme
11. Charlotte Mudoola
12. Brenda Kayiyi
13. Beatrice Atim
14. Prossy Nakakande
15. Hadijah Namuyanja
16. Dorothy Nekesa
17. Jackie Musoke*
18. Aisha Bahhani
19. Rebecca Akwenyu
20. Claire Anena
21. Asha Nakityo
22. -

* denotes first 15s cap.

Head Coach: Henry Musoke

Assistant Coach: Bobby Musinguzi

Team Manager: Anne Sizomu

Team doctor: Joseph Kalanzi

The Kenyan team

1. Camilyne Awour

2. Adelaide Nasambu

3. Janet Midecha

4. Millicent Opala

5. Rachel Adhiambo

6. Stacy Awour

7. Abadeen Shikoyi

8. Angela Olum

9. Mary Musieka

10. Doreen Remour

11. Catherine Abilla

12. Philadelphia Olando

13. Celestine Navalayo

14. Anita Omondi

15. Irene Awino

16. Hellen Antoni

17. Rubina Wambui

18. Kezia Adhiambo

19. Irene Nyakundi

20. Irene Namai

21. Mary Otieno

22. Emily Achieng

Head coach - Sammy Kemmey

Team Manager - Yvonne Makwali

Team doctor - James Moogi

17 year old Regina Athieno capped for Uganda

Regina Athieno, a 17 year old scrumhalf who plays for Black Panthers earned her first cap for Uganda's women's rugby team. The diminutive player did enough to impress coaches, Henry Musoke and Bobby Musinguzi, in the national team trials leading to her starting in the game against Kenya during the international friendly on May 22nd. Team captain, Prossy Nakakande shifted out wide to the wing to accommodate the teenage star. Athieno first burst onto the Ugandan rugby scene as a winger in 2008.

Uganda lose to Kenya in Nairobi

Uganda and Kenya locked horns in Nairobi in a friendly international over the weekend. Similar to the situation in Kampala, there was no publicity for the women’s game that took place at the Impala grounds at 11.30am. Kenya started off strongly and after a quick taken penalty by the forwards, the ball was spread down the back line for the captain Celestine Navalayo to score a try in the corner. The conversion was missed and Kenya led 5 – 0 after only 10 minutes of play. That shook the Ugandans and they sprang into action and camped in the Kenyan’s 22 for the remainder of the first half. Uganda failed to take advantage of numbers when the match referee gave a Kenyan forward a yellow card for persistent infringements at the rucks. The Ugandans squandered several try scoring opportunities and only had themselves to blame for not going into the break with a lead. In the second half the Ugandans rued the chances that they had missed earlier as the Kenyans kept the Ugandans pinned in their 22. A Ugandan forward was also sent to the sin bin for persistent infringements but determined defending from the Ugandan side kept the Kenyans from crossing the whitewash. However, Angela Olum nailed a penalty to take the final score of the game to 8 – 0.

Although both teams used their forwards well in open play the Ugandans were superior in set pieces while the Kenyans made better use of their backline. Next up are the Elgon cup games that will take place in July.

I will post the team lists of both teams later on in the week.

Kenya hold Lady Cranes to a draw in Kampala

In an unpublicised international, Uganda came back in the few minutes of the game to draw the game with their Kenyan neighbours. Both teams had failed to cross the whitewash in the first half but the second half saw Kenya score twice through Doreen Remour and Adelaide Nasambu. The conversions were missed so Kenya led 10 - 00 until waves of determined attacks from the hosts had them scoring through Fortunate Irankunda and Rosenburg Kanyunyuzi. The conversions were missed as well so the game ended at 10 - 10.

These games are being played as curtain raisers to the men's Bamburi Rugby Super Series (BRSS) games. However, the women's games are not part of the BRSS and the respective teams have to source for their own sponsorship. This has been difficult for the teams and the internationals were almost called off due to lack of finances.

The return leg will be played on 22nd May in Nairobi.

The Ugandan team

1. Christine Kizito
2. Rosenburg Kanyunyuzi
3. Fortunate Irankunda
4. Evelyn Aweku
5. Winnie Atyang
6. Aaliya Adania
7. Hellen Gizamba
8. Josephine Namayega
9. Prossy Nakakande
10. Claire Anena
11. Charlotte Mudoola
12. Brenda Kayiyi
13. Beatrice Atim
14. Hadijah Namuyanja
15. Helen Buteme
16. Patricia Ayebazibwe*
17. Dorothy Nekesa
18. Aisha Bahhani
19. Rebecca Akwenyu*
20. Joan Namuyomba
21. Mary Kyoita
22. Asha Nakityo*

* denotes first 15s cap.

Head Coach: Henry Musoke

Assistant Coach: Bobby Musinguzi

Team Manager: Anne Sizomu

Team doctor: Joseph Kalanzi

The Kenyan team

1. Mary Otieno

2. Adelaide Nasambu

3. Camilyne Awour

4. Millicent Opala

5. Rachel Adhiambo

6. Stacy Awour

7. Abadeen Shikoyi

8. Angela Olum

9. Anita Omondi

10. Doreen Remour

11. Catherine Abilla *

12. Philadelphia Olando

13. Celestine Navalayo

14. Rubina Wambui

15. Irene Awino

16. Hellen Antoni *

17. Mary Musieka

18. Kezia Adhiambo

19. Judy Agengo

20. Irene Namai

21. Janet Midecha

22. Emily Achieng

* denotes first 15s cap.

Head coach - Sammy Kemmey

Team Manager - Yvonne Makwali

Team doctor - James Moogi