Uganda Rugby Union (URU) and Minister of State for Sports, Hon. Peter Ogwang, on Thursday morning, announced that Rugby Africa had accepted Uganda’s bid to host the next two editions of the Rugby Africa (men’s XVs) Cup.
“Africa Rugby has unanimously accepted Uganda’s bid to host the 2024 and 2025 Editions of Rugby Africa Cup at Mandela National Stadium, Namboole,” posted Hon. Ogwang on his official X (formerly Twitter) handle.
The two editions, in 2024 and 2025, will be hosted at the Mandela National Stadium in Namboole.
URU also revealed that they will relocate their office premises from the Lugogo Sports Complex to Namboole after the ongoing renovations at the stadium. Lugogo is set to be redeveloped into an international-standard multipurpose sports arena.
Rugby at Namboole
Officially opened in 1997, the Mandela National Stadium in Namboole is a multipurpose sports facility with a football pitch, an athletics track, and indoor/outdoor courts. However, it is predominantly known as the home of Ugandan football because of hosting international events featuring the Uganda Cranes.
Nonetheless, it has hosted a rugby event in the past; fourteen years ago 2010 when Makerere Impis won the National 7s Series.
A Good Move for Rugby?
In my opinion, no. There are plenty of events from recent history to suggest that this might not be the best move. For example, at home, the 2022 Rugby Africa Women’s Cup at Muteesa II Stadium, Wankulukuku and away from home, the 2021-22 Safari 7s at Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi and the 2023 Elgon Cup at the Jomo Kenyatta Stadium in Mamboleo, Kisumu.
These are two of the reasons why.
First, rugby fans globally, few as we may be, are some of the most resistant to change when it comes to new venues and schedules. Thus, URU risks low attendance and bad optics during these tournaments due to the venue’s location and size.
All three aforementioned facilities are predominantly football stadiums with a seating capacity bigger than the usual rugby crowd and in a location away from usual rugby facilities. And so is Namboole. The tournaments they have all hosted were poorly attended and large sections of the terraces were empty.
Secondly, and perhaps most importantly, URU appears to have abandoned its member rugby clubs and facilities at the altar. This is at a time when clubs are being encouraged and incentivised to develop their own facilities for rugby events. To take a headline event like the Rugby Africa Cup away from a rugby club would be to make two steps forward and three steps backward.
In addition to Kyadondo Rugby Club, facilities like Kings Park in Bweyogerere and Damwaters Rugby Club in Jinja have demonstrated their readiness and suitability for hosting rugby events. It would have served these facilities, and the sport in general, better if such headline events were hosted there. That way, URU would build the capacity and self-sustainability of the facilities and associated clubs.
