The 2026 Barthes Cup has been hit with yet another snag as Madagascar becomes the latest nation to pull out.
This follows Ivory Coast’s early withdrawal from the First Division of the Barthes Cup, which led to the restructuring of the entire tournament.
The Performance and First Division were meant to be played in a round-robin format, but that was adjusted to the Performance Division moving to a knockout format, while the First Division remained in a round-robin format with Uganda, Zambia and Madagascar.
With Madagascar’s exit, Uganda will now play Zambia twice on Day 1 and Day 2 of the Barthes Cup, with the host nation securing a trial game against the Zimbabwe Junior Sables on Day 3.
Uganda U20 squad named
Uganda has assembled and named a 32-player squad to face Zambia and Zimbabwe. The selection process was thorough as talents from Schools Rugby and Junior Club Rugby had to compete for limited slots to represent their country.
The team shall be captained by Elijah Kantinti Musoke, who made his mark as Kings College Budo captain in 2025. He has since transitioned to club rugby alongside colleagues like Johnny Okello and Daniel Musyoka, and this is their opportunity to showcase their abilities on the big stage.
Notable omissions include Walukuba Barbarians’ duo of Matthew Oluka and Timothy Mawanda, who are in the thick of things in the National 7s with their club. The other possible prospects who were cut off by mere months from the requisite age bracket include Matthew Musasizi of the Heathens, Shafiq Mansur of the Walukuba Barbarians and Ian Bwowe of the KOBs.
Full Squad:
Forwards: Sylvester Munguacel, Elijah Musoke Kantinti, Peter Woluydeba, Paul Kisubi Lukakamwa, Moris Kazibwe, Jagen Palmer, John Bwayo Tsekooko, Dodovico Olowo, Benjamin Elijah Balamaze, Prince Kakaire Nathanael, Johnny Okello, Sharif Tibo, Victor Agaba, Moses Ngati Moya, Ambrose Ssebalijja, Bitweero Ojara, Hudson Omara and Ivan Ojok.
Backs: Arthur Kato, Faizo Baluku, Allan Titus Nyonyintono, Daniel Musyoka, Abraham Mujuni, Jacob Abaasa, Gideon Kisangala, Timothy Mainuka Mirungi, Joshua Makoko, Joshua Magali Lamot, Jayden Acidri, Victor Mutumba, James Ssemamba and Sean Gabriel Okweda.