Uganda is working against the clock to get their U20 national team ready for the 2022 Rugby Africa Barthes Cup that is just under a month away. Uganda’s participation at this year’s event was confirmed last week after Senegal pulled out of the tournament due to financial challenges.
The campaign began in high gear yesterday afternoon at the Makerere Rugby Grounds (The Graveyard) where trial matches were held by Uganda Rugby Union.
The Ladies’ national rugby team head coach Leonard Lubambula is part of the technical team. photo credit Uganda Rugby Union.
Acting head coach Richard Lumu, speaking to the press after the trial games, said that these games were meant to aid his technical bench in selecting the best players to represent the country.
“Today was a clinic that we’ve done to select the best 35 players from whom we shall pick the team to represent Uganda at the Barthes U20 (Cup) in Nairobi,” Lumu said.
His technical bench on the day had Ram’s compatriot Jude Rwakayanga, Warriors coach Gabriel Aredo and Uganda Lady Rugby Cranes head coach Leonard Lubambula. Plus a wealth of other experienced coaches including ex-Rugby Cranes head coach Brian Makalama.
The bulk of the players who turned up for the trial games is secondary school students. These were from within Kampala and Entebbe and from as far upcountry as Jinja and Mbarara. Some of these even played the previous day during their respective regional championships and the top tier premier league.
“About 65 players turned up. We had three teams; one from the premiership, the second from the championship and the other one from the regionals. Meaning that the whole Uganda U20 is represented,” Lumu noted.
The objective is to now get the young individual talents to play together as a team. Uganda has not participated in age-grade continental rugby since hosting the 2018 event in which they came second to eventual champions Zambia.
“The beauty about our U20 is that most of them have been competing in the league, so fitness levels will not be that bad. All we have to look at is cohesion and how they can go out there and compete.”
Lumu has set an ambitious target of delivering Uganda’s first-ever Barthes Cup.
“We are looking at a final and winning that Cup. No holding back or having issues of late-coming, we just have to get in and get the job done,” he said.
But to do that, his charges will need to overcome hosts and current holders Kenya Chipu, who are looking for a three-peat in the prestigious junior championship.
The Barthes Cup will be played at the Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi City from April 9-17.
Uganda will now join Kenya who is the title holder, Namibia, Madagascar, Tunisia, Zimbabwe, Cote d’Ivoire and Zambia after Senegal withdrew.
This will be the first U20 Barthés Trophy to be graced by eight teams.
Last year, only three teams participated and they were Kenya, Madagascar and Senegal. Kenya’s Chipu retained the title after taming Madagascar’s Junior Makis 21-20 in a pulsating final.
The U20 Barthes trophy is the Rugby Africa U/20 championship. Teams compete on an annual basis, and the winners of the competition earn the right to represent the African continent at the World Rugby Junior Trophy. The championship is named after Jean-Luc Barthes, who was the rugby services manager for Rugby Africa. He passed away in 2016. The tournament began in 2007 with Uganda as the host, which saw Namibia winning the title.
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