Rugby Cranes 7s Captain Ian Munyani has declared the upcoming Africa Rugby Sevens tournament in Mauritius as a critical juncture for the team’s aspirations to play international rugby next year.
Speaking after the team’s safe arrival in Mauritius for the Africa Men’s Sevens, Munyani emphasized the high stakes of the two-weekend tournament, which will see the best two teams qualify for the HSBC Challenger Series in 2025.
Reflecting on their recent performance at the Olympic Repechage in Monaco, Munyani said the team would take the positives and use them as motivation for the Africa Sevens tournament.
“The Olympic Repechage was quite a tournament. We learnt a couple of lessons there. Our goal was to qualify for the Olympics but we fell short,” he said.
“We are now looking forward to coming out on top in Mauritius. We need to win this series to give us a chance of playing international rugby next year. It’s definitely a do or die for us,” he added.
The 2024 Rugby Africa 7s, scheduled for June 29-30 and July 6-7 in Mauritius, represents a crucial opportunity for Uganda, who finished third in last year’s edition.
The tournament features strong competition, with Uganda placed in Pool B alongside Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, and Tunisia.
Securing a top-two finish is imperative for Uganda to advance to the 2025 HSBC Challenger Series.
