Uganda Men and Women rugby 7s fail the play off test

Uganda men’s and women’s national sevens rugby teams of Uganda concluded their participation in the HSBC Challenger Series in sixth place, falling short of the top-four positions necessary to qualify for the HSBC SVNS 2025 Play-Off in Madrid.

The Ugandan men’s team amassed a total of 28 points over the course of the series, trailing the leading team, Uruguay, by 28 points. Uruguay topped the standings, while Uganda’s East African neighbors, Kenya, secured second place with 48 points.

On the women’s side, the Lady Rugby Cranes ended the series with 36 points, just missing the fourth-place cutoff by four points, which went to Poland. China dominated the women’s division with 60 points, securing the top spot.

The Ugandan women finished just two points behind Kenya, who also failed to qualify for the playoffs.

This was the Lady Rugby Cranes’ maiden appearance at the 7s Challenger. They were the only debutants this season and one would say it was a terrific debut for the Ladies team,Coach Onen had expected it to be a tough test for the entire Uganda women’s 7s setup.

Being debutants in the tournament, it’s going to get tough. It’s a test to all of us; the management of the team, the coaching staff, the country, and the players themselves. We are all under test to check the progress,” Onen said to Kawowo Sports in January before the Dubai round.

The HSBC Challenger Series is a vital platform for emerging rugby nations to compete at a higher level and gain international experience.