Uganda Men’s 7s national team’s participation in the 2024 Willem Strauss International 7s tournament in South Africa is in jeopardy as the travelling contingent has encountered visa issues.
The development was confirmed by Uganda Rugby Union (URU) in a press statement published on the morning of the tournament on Saturday, September 7, 2024.
The South Africa High Commission, through the Visa Facilitation Services (VFS) Office in Uganda, denied entry visas to seven of the fifteen members, including players and the technical bench, citing a matter of their overstay during a previous trip to the country last year.
“…the South Africa High Commission only granted visas to eight of the applicants citing a previously recorded matter from 2023 World (Rugby) Challenger Series to deny the other 7 members entry visas because they overstayed their visas on that occasion,” reads the statement in part.
The trip in question was in March-April 2023 when the team camped at the Stellenbosch Academy of Sports for two weeks in preparation for the 2023 World Rugby 7s Challenger Series. The team had stayed in South Africa longer than the time allowed by their visas and were flagged by immigration officers on their return journey.
URU were aware of this matter but were unable to resolve it in time, and it has hit them hard more than a year later.
“… efforts had been made to resolve this matter with South Africa Department of Home Affairs with assistance of the Office of the Uganda High Commissioner to South Africa, His Excellency Ambassador Paul Amoru, the National Council of Sports, Ministry of Education and Sports, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.”
“URU has therefore taken the decision to send 8 team members ahead as we work to resolve the matter with SA DOHA and SA High Commission in Kampala. It is our hope this matter will be resolved in time to enable the team to travel and take part in this tournament.”
Nonetheless, URU has sent the permitted members of the contingent for the tournament. They are players; Karim Arinaitwe, Mubarak Wandera, Pius Ogena, Malcolm Daniel Okello, William Mark Lukwago, Mark Osuna, and Robin Odrua. None of the members of the technical team made it.
Sources close to Kawowo Sports have revealed that the players unable to travel were free to join their clubs at the Gulu 7s.
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Both tournaments, the Gulu 7s and the Willem Strauss International 7s, will be played this weekend from September 7-8, 2024.
