Uganda’s Junior Rugby Cranes Sevens team finished eighth at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games after falling 10-5 to hosts Senegal in their final classification match at the Complexe Iba Mar Diop Stadium on Monday, 2 November.
The young Ugandans put up a fight against the hosts, managing to cross the try line once through Bonamy Bwambale, who scored Uganda’s only try of the match. The five points were not enough to overturn Senegal’s two tries, as the hosts secured a 10-5 victory to claim seventh place, leaving Uganda eighth in the eight-team competition.
Bwambale’s try was Uganda’s second of the tournament, following Almadi Otema’s effort against Japan earlier in the competition. Despite their struggles to get on the scoreboard, the Junior Rugby Cranes showed moments of promise against some of the strongest young rugby nations at the Games.
Uganda’s final classification match followed a 22-0 defeat to Germany in the fifth-to-eighth-place classification semifinal earlier on Monday. The team had been drawn against some tough opposition (France, Japan and Argentina in Pool B) throughout the competition, with the experience providing a valuable opportunity for the young players to test themselves against international competition.
France claimed the gold medal, South Africa took silver, while Argentina secured bronze to complete the podium.
Although the eighth-place finish may not have been the outcome Uganda had hoped for, simply having a team sport represented at the Youth Olympic Games remains a proud moment for the country. The exposure gained by the young players is equally important, offering them an opportunity to experience international competition, understand the demands of the game at a higher level and build confidence for the future.
These young players represent the next generation of the senior Rugby Cranes Sevens programme. Their experience in Dakar is part of their development journey, with lessons from the competition expected to contribute to their growth as they continue to sharpen their skills.
For the young boys, the trip to Senegal now gives way to a return home and a long third-term school holiday. Some will return to their respective home clubs, where they will continue honing their craft, developing their game and building on the experience gained on the international stage.
While their Youth Olympic Games campaign has come to an end, the journey for Uganda’s Junior Rugby Cranes is only beginning. Dakar has given them a taste of Olympic-level competition, and the challenge now is to take those lessons home and keep working towards becoming the future senior Rugby Cranes Sevens stars.