A provisional squad of 35 players has been named by Uganda Rugby Union ahead of the Rugby Africa Cup that will be held at Marseilles and Aix-en-Provence, France from 1 July to 10 July 2022.
The players, majority playing at local clubs and some outside the country will be summoned for training when the Uganda’s local XVs league, Nile Special Rugby Premier League winds downs this Saturday.
The participating teams at the Rugby Africa Cup are; Namibia, Burkina Faso, Uganda, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal and Algeria.
Uganda will face neighbors Kenya in the quarterfinals of the qualifiers while Namibia will come up against Burkina Faso, Zimbabwe meets Ivory Coast while Senegal will take on Algeria.
The tournament doubles as a qualifier for the Rugby World Cup 2023 that will be played in France. One team will qualify directly and will be seeded in Group A of the global showpiece against France, New Zealand, Italy and the Americas 1 qualifier.
The Runner-up at the tournament will have a chance to the final global Qualifiers of the World Cup.
With their 7s side qualifying for the respective World Cup last month, Uganda’s XVs side will seek to replicate the same.
Rugby Cranes provisional Squad
Ruhweza Alema (Pirates), Kabagambe Ivan (Pirates), Conrad Wanyama (Pirates), Ivan Magomu (Pirates), James Mugisha (Pirates), Timothy Odongo (Pirates), Solomon Okia (Pirates), Santos Ssenteza (Heathens), Ronald Kanyanya (Heathens), Joachim Chissano (Heathens), Reynolds Kato (Heathens), Akera Komakech (Heathens), Aziz Khan (Heathens), Scott Oluoch (Heathens), Paul Epilo (Heathens), Innocent Gwokto (Heathens), Joseph Oyet (Heathens), Alex Mubiru (Heathens), Emong Eliphaz (Jinja Hippos), Isaac Rujumba (Jinja Hippos), Jacob Ochen (Jinja Hippos), Taufiq Bagalana (Jinja Hippos), Denis Etwau (Jinja Hippos), Collins Kimbowa (KOBs), Saul Kivumbi (KOBs), Faraj Odongo (KOBs), Jude Juuko (KOBs), Arthur Mpande (KOBs), Michael Otto (KOBs), Emmanuel Ecodu (KOBs), Robert Aziku (KOBs), Pius Ogena (KOBs), Alhaji Manano (KOBs), Joseph Aredo (KOBs), Asuman Mugerwa (Kabras).
