Uganda Rugby has organised a fixture between the Under 20 Baby Cranes and a select Under 23 team to act as a curtain raiser for the National Rugby Premiership final between the Black Pirates and Buffaloes RFC.
This game is of major significance to the Under-20 team as they ramp up preparations for the Barthes Cup.
The continental Under-20 tournament is slated to be held at the Hoima City Stadium this August amongst the Top 4 Sides in Africa. These are Namibia, Zimbabwe, Kenya and Tunisia, while the challenge bracket of the Next 4 sides shall be headlined by Uganda, the home team, alongside Madagascar, Zambia and Cote d’Ivoire.
Uganda’s last appearance at the tournament was in 2023, where they finished 7th, only defeating Madagascar.
In the 2024 and 2025 tournaments, Uganda was not eligible to compete as it fell out of the Top 4 bracket in rankings. With the expansion to 8 teams and introduction of the challenger division, Uganda is presented with an opportunity to gain promotion to the top division if they emerge as the highest Under 20 side in their division.
The Under 23 set up is an opportunity for a lost generation who didn’t get the chance to compete against their peers at the highest continental level, to get valuable minutes and experience for the senior Rugby Cranes team. These include players like Darren Aine of the Impis and Benjamin Muwanguzi of the KOBs, who shall be happy to welcome this exposure and growth with both hands.
The Under 20 Vs Under 23 game shall be played at 1:30 p.m., before the main event between Black Pirates and the Buffaloes later at 4:00 p.m.