With the Rugby Africa Women’s 7s Cup fast approaching, the Lady Cranes coach, Charles Cyphus Onen, has turned to experience to deliver gold at the November 15-16 tournament at the RFUEA Grounds in Nairobi, Kenya.
The gaffer has described the side as tried and tested, a description that perfectly suits this provisional squad.
“We zeroed down to that 18-player squad based on the fact that we have a very short preparation time to the Rugby Africa Women’s Cup, and that’s why we had to go for the experience.
“A couple of young girls [in the National 7s] put up their hands and they really have the potential, but we believe it is a very short window for them to try and prepare for this tournament,” Onen noted.
“We can come back to the drawing board and try to make way for the new girls and see how they can blend into the system, but for now we chose those final 18 because they are tried and tested,” he added.
Former Lady Cranes 7s captain Peace Lekuru is also back in the fold, after spending her summer in England, plying her trade at Rugby League side, York Valkyrie. This is a welcome return not only for Uganda fans, but for the team and Coach Onen as well.
“She is a good addition to the squad, she is a workhorse with a high work rate,” he remarked.
While highlighting Lekuru’s experience, Onen noted, “She has been at these stages before, she has played at the highest competitions and I think her coming back into the squad is one of the things that can boost the team. She also brings a very good vibe to the team, in addition to leadership and that work rate that we expect to see as we are moving into the Rugby Africa competition.”
Despite the team playing without Lekuru and finishing second at the Safari 7s, Coach Onen was impressed with the team’s performance and picked out some positives from the outing.
“It was massive to see how the girls fought for one another, trying to put it upon themselves that it is an opportunity to showcase themselves, that they can step up in case 1 or 2 other players are not in the squad. We are trying to build a squad that can be able to represent the country without relying on individual players. That was one of the great things that I liked from the Safari 7s,” he concluded.
The Lady Cranes started training on Wednesday this week at the Kyadondo Rugby Grounds and shall continue to do so until the final squad is named, before they set off for Nairobi next month.