KAMPALA – The quality of the rugby on the field was of an unprecedented high standard, the organisation of the event was uniquely African and top-notch, while the atmosphere in this rugby-mad East African nation was simply electric.
You have to give it to Uganda for hosting this most memorable showpiece, and after this, few will begrudge the “Pearl of Africa” for being given rights again to host next year’s edition of the Rugby Africa Cup, which will serve as the final qualification event for the 2027 World Cup.
Yes, of course, they were saddened that their favourite Cranes didn’t do well enough in the tournament to reach the final and have a go at the title. Yet the Ugandan rugby faithful still turned up in numbers on the last day at the Mandela National Stadium here on Sunday – in full voice as ever – to give this extraordinary tournament a befitting ending.
“African rugby is back, it really is,” Africa Rugby president Herbert Mensah told the audience in his post-match address.
“And, thanks to Uganda!”
Indeed a great debt of gratitude is owed to the Uganda Rugby Union and everybody involved for a tournament to remember.
The biggest winner of the day though was Zimbabwe, crowned the new champions of the continent after grinding out a workmanlike 29-3 win over surprise package Algeria in the final.
Zimbabwe and Algeria in the final was in fact one of the inspirational stories of the tournament, for quite a number of African rugby followers would be forgiven for having predicted a Namibia v Kenya final.
Zimbabwe outclassed fellow Southern Africans Namibia in the semi-finals on Wednesday, their first win over their great in over two decades. In the other semi-final match, Algeria played some of their best rugby in years since they become a World Rugby member. They sunk heavy favourites Kenya 20-12 in the other semi-final, with the boot of 38-year-old fullback Julien Serge Caminati making the difference.
On Sunday in the final, it was however Zimbabwe who wanted it more. A first-half brace of tries from the 21-year-old winger Trevor Gurwe – making his run-on debut for the Sables – put Piet Benade’s men in control.
Two more tries late in the second-half by replacement hooker Liam Larkan as well as outside-centre Brandon Mudzekenyedzi had the Zimbabwean bench already kissing the trophy.
Meanwhile, Namibia – who have been dislodged as the champions by the Zimbabweans – claimed a consolation bronze after beating Kenya 38-27 a game before the final showdown.
The six-time Africans are rarely second best on the continent, but this time around they’ll have to be content with number three because freebies no longer exist in African rugby, if the level of play exhibited by all the eight teams in Uganda is anything to go by.
Before the previous finalists had clashed in the fourth-place playoff, boy oh boy, didn’t we witness a classic at Wankulukuku!
Uganda the tournament host put on quite a show with their organisational skills, so Uganda the team seemed determined to give a show of their own!
Tied 23-23 in the 80 minutes of the fifth-place playoff against Senegal, the match had to go into the extra-time.
Senegal winger Ameth Sall and Uganda flyhalf Ivan Magomu made it 26-26 from penalties, and more drama was to unfold.
Uganda fullback Timothy Kisiga then burst through to score in the extra-time, gathering the ball and galloping through the Senegal line to cross the whitewash.
Allasane Sagna, the impressive Senegalese outside-centre, replied for the Western Africans after the forwards did the hard work for him to finish off in the corner.
It ended 31-31 after extra-time, before Uganda inside-centre Joseph Aredo calmed nerves in sudden-death to send the home fans into song and dance from a penalty. 34-31 it ended in favour of the Cranes!
Earlier on in the day, unlucky Burkina Faso were relegated from the top-tier of African rugby after Côte d’Ivoire beat them 23-10 in the seventh-pace playoff, a result that saw the Burkinabe finish bottom of the eight-team elite tournament. – Rugby Africa
