The Uganda national Rugby Sevens team, Rugby Cranes 7s has been withdrawn from the World Rugby Sevens Repechage event in Monaco due to a couple of positive Covid-19 cases in the team.
“In accordance with tournament regulations, the Uganda men’s team has been withdrawn from the World Rugby Sevens Repechage competition in Monaco from 18-20 June following a number of positive COVID-19 results determined during scheduled arrival testing.”
“Robust tournament COVID-19 protocols implemented by World Rugby and the Monégasque Rugby Union, which included pre-departure and on arrival PCR testing, revealed the positive results in the Uganda delegation,” World Rugby said in a statement on Thursday.
This development implies that Rugby Cranes Sevens dream for a slot in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics is over for the Monaco event will determine the final two women’s and one men’s team to qualify for the Olympics.
Uganda was initially seeded in men’s Pool B with France, Hong Kong, Chile and Jamaica, hence the four sides will get walkovers/byes.
However, all Uganda players have been in strict isolation since arrival, and the delegation will continue to follow the isolation quarantine process as determined by the Monaco authorities’ public health guidelines. Owing to the nature of these tournament protocols, there has been no close contact with members from other teams.
All remaining tournament participants underwent pre-scheduled antigen testing on the morning of Thursday 17 June and there were zero positive results, confirming the strict tournament protocols have been successful in maintaining a safe sanitary tournament environment.
The event is operating inside a sanitary bubble following World Rugby’s COVID-19 guidelines for all participants, which includes the compulsory wearing of masks at all times other than when players are on the pitch, physical distancing and regular hand washing, alongside the rigorous testing regime.
Player welfare is World Rugby’s top priority and the international federation is providing full medical and operational support to ensure the health and wellbeing of the Ugandan delegation during their period of isolation, and will continue to implement the strict COVID-19 countermeasures throughout the tournament.
