Rugby Africa Cup Set for July 18 at Namboole Stadium

Ugandan rugby fans are eagerly anticipating the 2024 Rugby Africa Cup, set to take place at the newly refurbished Mandela National Stadium in Namboole from July 18 to 29. The annual continental tournament was launched at a vibrant event by government whip Denis Hamson Obua at Kings Park in Bweyogerere, home of the Pirates Rugby Club.

This marks the first time Uganda is hosting the tier A championship in 15s rugby. Obua, representing the current Minister of Sports Peter Ogwang, praised Uganda for securing the bid to host the tournament for 2024 and 2025. He emphasized Uganda's commitment to strengthening international relationships through rugby and assured stakeholders of government support. Obua also thanked Nile Breweries for their sponsorship and encouraged other companies to support the sport as part of their corporate social responsibility.

Accompanying Obua were notable figures including Uganda Rugby Union (URU) patron David Wasajja, URU president Godwin Kayangwe, MP Daniel Kidega, and representatives from Nile Breweries. Obua ceremoniously kicked a rugby ball to officially launch the tournament in Uganda.

Kayangwe expressed his gratitude to World Rugby for promoting the sport in Africa, sharing his vision of a rugby boom on the continent. Herbert Mensah, president of Rugby Africa, congratulated Uganda via Zoom for winning the bid and highlighted the importance of direct investments in sports, citing Uganda and five other countries as examples.

Davidson Wadada from Nile Breweries committed to rallying supporters to Namboole to boost player morale. The seven countries qualified for the finals are Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Senegal, and hosts Uganda.