The Uganda Rugby Union has set up a long time partnership with Free State Rugby Union from South Africa with the Free State Cheetahs coach Nana Drotske, here on a five day working trip.
The partnership was announced this morning at a brief ceremony held at Kyadondo rugby club that was attended by Uganda Rugby Union chairman Andrew Owor and South African coach Nana Drotske.
“This is the beginning of a long lasting partnership for us to develop the game of rugby through out the country with the help of the Free State Rugby Union,” Owor said. “Drotske will be here in the country to conduct training sessions with our local coaches and also seek on a way to develop a professional structure for the game.”
The South African coach is a former South African rugby union player, who played for the Springboks between 1993 and 1999. He played as a hooker in the South African provincial Currie Cup for the Blue Bulls and the Free State Cheetahs.
He was a member of the 1995 Rugby World Cup -winning team.
“It gives me a pleasure to come to Uganda. This place has people with unbelievable passion for the game and have great intensity too,” Drotske said. “I am here to work with the coaches and also see that we help the union develop a professional structure for the game.”
This development comes at a time when the national side has no coach after previous coach Peter Magona, opted not to renew his contract with the Union.
“There has to structures for the Union to push the game from am amateur point of view to a professional one,” Drotske added. “With this in place we hope we can have a few of your players to come over to Bloemfontein as an exchange programme for them to train with our players.”