The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
KAMPALA, Uganda | Xinhua | Uganda coach Tolbert Onyango has named the final men’s squad that will tussle it out in the World Rugby Sevens 2024 Repechage slated for June 21-23 at the Stade Louis II in Monaco, France.
The three-day World Rugby Sevens Repechage organized by the World Rugby will feature 12 men’s and 12 women’s teams battling for one last spot each in the Paris Olympics.
“We have prepared well and the team is ready to go and play their hearts out to try and secure the last slot for the Paris Olympics,” Onyango told Xinhua.
Onyango, a former Kenyan International, made it clear that this last qualifier for the Olympics will be very tough. “But we know what to expect and every match will be like a final for us,” added Onyango.
Uganda’s men’s team is placed in Group B alongside Britain, Canada and China. Ian Munyani, who will captain the Ugandan team, told Xinhua that they expect very tough battles beginning from the group matches. “Each of our opponents including China have different approaches and we shall handle them as they come,” added Munyani.
Onyango’s team is hoping to bounce back from an unconvincing performance at the World Rugby HSBC 7s Challenger Series in Munich last month, where they finished sixth.
Besides the teams in Group B, the other teams are South Africa, Chile, Tonga, Mexico, Spain, China’s Hong Kong, Papua New Guinea and Brazil.
In the women’s category, China, recently promoted to the HSBC Sevens Series, is tipped as favorite, but China’s Hong Kong, Argentina, Kenya and Uganda are also contenders for the place. ■
