Rugby Afrique president Herbert Mensah has praised Uganda’s successful hosting of the 2025 Rugby Africa Cup, crediting the achievement to the local organizing committee behind the continental event.
This year’s edition, staged at Mandela National Stadium in Namboole, followed last year’s tournament which was also hosted in Uganda, where the Zimbabwe Sables emerged champions.
The twelve-day tournament featured three match days and culminated in a thrilling final where Zimbabwe edged Namibia 30-28 to secure their spot at the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia. The final was played last Saturday at Namboole.
“Uganda Rugby understands that sport is big business, and you need to win off the field in order to win on the field,” Mensah said. “Last year was fantastic, and this year was the greatest show put together.”
The 2025 event marked the 20th edition of the Rugby Africa Cup and formed part of a two-year World Cup qualification cycle.
Reflecting on the tournament, Mensah emphasized the growing competitiveness of African rugby.
“We’re trying to grow rugby on the continent. Many of the teams here don’t have proper domestic leagues, but the margins between them and the overall quality — right up to the final — are at a very high level,” he noted.
Uganda finished seventh out of eight nations after defeating Côte d’Ivoire 37-17 in the relegation decider.
