The Uganda Rugby Cranes (URC) XVs team has been flagged off to Pretoria, South Africa, for a series of trial matches in preparation for the upcoming 2024 Rugby Africa Cup that will be hosted in Kampala, Uganda.
This followed an invitation from Harlequins Rugby Club, a club member of the Blue Bulls Rugby Union (BBRU), under the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed between URU and BBRU for a tour of South Africa to play three test games in preparation for the 2024 Rugby Africa Cup.
The team was flagged off on Wednesday, June 26, 2024, by the NCS’s Assistant General Secretary of Administration, Francis Oluga.
Oluga expressed gratitude and congratulations to the Uganda Rugby Union and the Blue Bulls Rugby Union for their historic partnership.
He also hailed URU’s preparation efforts for the traveling team, wished them luck in South Africa, and urged them to stay focused and work harder to achieve the ultimate goal of winning the 2024 Rugby Africa Cup.
According to URU Vice President of Commercial, Hon. Andrew Ojok Oulanya, the MOU signed by the two unions has marked the beginning of a partnership geared towards high performance and the upskilling of coaches and players.
“The Memorandum of Understanding signed by these two unions has heralded a partnership geared towards high-performance and upskilling of coaches and players and has allowed Ugandan rugby to learn from one of the best unions in the world known for developing and producing some of the best talent in South African rugby and the world,” Ojok said.
The tour will have three test games against Limpopo Country Districts XV in Modimolle (June 29), Supa Barbarians in Johannesburg (July 2), and Loftus 200 in Pretoria (July 5) at Nylstroom H/s, Pirates Rugby Club, and Harlequin Rugby Club, respectively.
