Uganda women’s squad for the HSBC World Rugby 7s Challenger opening round in Dubai will be named on Wednesday afternoon, just over a week before the tournament.
Twelve players will be selected from the team who have trained non-stop from June last year. Their relentless efforts were rewarded with a 2023 Safari 7s gold medal and a 2023 Africa 7s bronze, with which came a ticket to both the 7s Challenger and the Paris 2024 Olympic Games Repechage.
See Uganda’s Pool in Dubai
Uganda will be the rookie of the 7s Challenger 2024 when it kicks off on Friday, January 12 at The Sevens Stadium.
This is a test that head coach Charles Onen relishes as he leads the country through the desert to the promised land. Onen outlined what will define success during this debut season.
“Being debutants in the tournament, it’s going to get tough. It’s a test to all of us; the management of the team, the coaching staff, the country, and the players themselves. We are all under test to check the progress. The team has been progressing well but I believe it is another test.
“We just need to get our mental right as the players and then we need to make sure (in) every game there is good progress from every player and the general performance of the team, which is something that we are looking at that is very crucial.”
Despite being drawn with Thailand, Papua New Guinea, and 2023 runners-up Belgium in Pool A, Onen ambitiously wishes to make the knockouts on the first attempt.
“Our first target will be leaving the group stage to make the knockouts which I believe, with all efforts and hard work, we can make. It will be positive for us, and then as we build the team’s confidence, we see how best we can perform in the 7s Challenger.”
