The Rugby Cranes XVs have arrived in South Africa for the next phase of their Southern Africa preparation tour, following a narrow 22–19 defeat to Namibia in their opening test match in Windhoek last weekend.

The result offered a clear reality check and a valuable opportunity for reflection, as Head Coach Fred Mudoola and his technical team continue building toward next month’s Rugby Africa Cup 2025, set for July 8–19 at the Nelson Mandela Stadium in Namboole.

Namibia struck early in the Windhoek fixture with a try, asserting their physical dominance from the onset. However, Uganda fought back bravely through the boot of Yassin Wasswa, who converted two penalties and missed two others.

The kicking duties were later assumed by Liam Walker, who slotted a penalty to give Uganda a brief 13–12 lead in the second half, and later brought the game level at 19–19 before Namibia clinched victory with a late penalty.

Despite the loss, the Cranes displayed promising elements in their phase play, defensive structure, and discipline at the breakdown. With sharper execution, the result could easily have gone the other way.

“Namibia gave us a contest, but we’re happy because we tried to put things together,” said Captain Byron Oketayot, who was stretchered off early in the match.

“The result shows we’re not yet there, but we’re close. We expected physicality and we brought ours too, we just need to polish up.”

The team has since shifted base to Nylstroom, South Africa, where they are undergoing a five- day high-performance training program in collaboration with the Blue Bulls franchise, one of South Africa’s most elite rugby setups.

This is the second leg of a three-phase Southern Africa tour aimed at fine-tuning systems and testing player combinations ahead of the Africa Cup.

Uganda is set to face archrivals Kenya in the quarterfinal stage on July 8 at Namboole. A win would move them a step closer to the 2027 Rugby World Cup, with the tournament winner earning direct qualification and the runner-up heading to the final global repechage.

The Cranes’ next test match will be against the Limpopo Blue Bulls this Friday, June 21.

Afterwards, the team will head to Nelspruit for their final camp (June 23–26), which culminates in a highly anticipated showdown with Currie Cup giants Pumas on June 27.

With competition building and margins narrowing, every minute on this tour matters.

Southern Africa Tour Fixtures:

Test Result:
Namibia 22–19 Uganda

Upcoming Schedule:

June 16–19: High-performance training camp, Nylstroom
June 21: Test match vs Limpopo Blue Bulls
June 23–26: Final camp, Nelspruit
June 27: Test match vs Pumas (2022 Currie Cup champions)

Tickets for the Rugby Africa Cup 2025 are now available via the MTN MoMo App and at www.momoticketing.com.

Organised by Rugby Africa (www.rugbyafrique.com), the continental governing body for rugby in Africa, in partnership with Uganda Rugby Union. The 2025 tournament features Uganda, Zimbabwe, Algeria, Namibia, Kenya, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, and Morocco from July 8 to July 19. All matches will be available for streaming on Rugby Pass TV, Rugby Africa Facebook and the official broadcasting partner, NBS Sport (https://nbssport.co.ug).