Uganda’s Rugby Cranes have been eliminated from the World Rugby HSBC Sevens Challenger after finishing ninth in the final men’s standings, while the Lady Cranes held on to eighth place in the women’s category to advance to the third round in Krakow.
The men’s side struggled throughout the two rounds in Cape Town, accumulating just 10 points, which left them outside the top eight needed to progress.
Canada and Germany topped the men’s standings with 34 points each, while Portugal (32) and Chile (28) completed the top four. Samoa, Japan, Madagascar, and Tonga sealed the remaining spots for the Krakow showdown on April 11-12.
It was a different story for the Lady Cranes, who secured the final qualification spot in the women’s standings with 14 points.
Kenya dominated the competition, finishing first with 40 points, followed by South Africa (34), Argentina (30), and Colombia (30). Thailand, Czechia, and Poland also made the cut alongside Uganda, keeping their hopes of promotion to the HSBC SVNS alive.
Kenya’s women’s team continued their impressive form by winning back-to-back Challenger rounds, capping their Cape Town campaign with a 17-0 win over South Africa in the final. In the men’s category, Portugal edged Germany 12-7 to claim top honors.
With only the top four teams from the Challenger series earning a chance to battle for promotion in Los Angeles in May, the Lady Cranes will now shift their focus to making the most of their opportunity in Krakow, while the Rugby Cranes will have to regroup after a disappointing campaign.
