Uganda Rugby Union (URU) have partnered with Nile Special Stout to make food donations to Rugby players as away of helping them to successfully get through this trying period brought about by the coronavirus pandemic.
The food relief was handed over to club representatives on Friday 1st, May 2020 at Velocity Bar, Kyanjja.
The support will be given to players through their respective parent clubs, and it will be the clubs to distribute the little relief present as per the varying needs of the players, as stated by Godwin Kayangwe, the president URU, while handing over the food relief items.
“We would like to thank the clubs for their continued cooperation with the stipulated guidelines as communicated by the government of Uganda,” Kayangwe added.
All sporting activities in Uganda were suspended in line with the presidential directives to fight the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic, and Rugby is one of those that were affected, leaving many players unable to sustain themselves and their families, as they not earning any salary.
The beneficiaries will be players for both the men’s and women’s teams, plus the referees.
URU has ten (10) teams playing in the National Rugby Premiership, plus eight (8) women’s and fifteen (15) men’s teams from the regional championship.
Before the league was put on hold, each club in the premiership had played thirteen (13) games out of the stipulated eighteen (18) meant to be played by each team.
The suspension of sporting activities in Uganda also affected the preparation of the national men’s 7s team for the Olympic Repechage tournament in Paris, France that was initially slated for June this year.
Kayangwe urged players to stay fit as many games await them when the lockdown due to the virus is lifted globally.
“I urge the players to stay fit as we may be overwhelmed by a lot of competitions when the lockdown is lifted globally,” Kayangwe noted.
“Keep safe and stay home till further communication from the Ministry of Health and the relevant authorities,” Kayangwe, in addition, echoed to the rest of the players and the entire Rugby fraternity.
Uganda has eighty five (85) positive cases that have been confirmed by the Ministry of Health on Friday 1st, May , with fifty two (52) having recovered and discharged from respective hospitals, and are yet to register any death due to the virus.
