Expected to be the hinge for Uganda National Rugby, Magomu was named captain of the Titanic Squad of Ruggers on Friday morning. Uganda rugby July diary presents three competitive assignments to the15’s aside National rugby team. The Tournaments in July alone somewhat give certain fright starting with the Rugby Africa Cup to be hosted in France from 1st-10th July 2022. 

Barely twenty days after the French trip, the team will be hosting the Elgon Cup with the first leg being on 23^rd July at either Kyadondo or Legends grounds before they travel across Migingo for the second leg on July 30^th in the Kenyan Capital of Nairobi.

The ‘Migingo Derby’

The Elgon Cup dubbed the ‘Migingo derby’ is contested between the rugby union teams of Kenya and Uganda. The men’s and women’s teams of these countries each compete annually for their respective cups on a Home-and-Away basis. 

The competition and the cups are named after Mount Elgon, a mountain on the border of the two countries.

The men’s competition started in 2004 while the women’s Elgon Cup followed it a few years later, in 2006. The Elgon cup has now been subsumed into the recently inaugurated Victoria Cup. The women’s games generally serve as a curtain raiser to the men’s games.

When they last met in 2019, the Rugby Cranes won the first leg 16-13 in Kisumu but Kenya Simbas won 16-5 in Kampala to grab the bragging rights of the Cup by two East African neighboring brothers. The 2020 and 2021 were called off due the Covid19 pandemic that affected all the sports industry world over.

Rugby Africa Cup 2022 (France)

Eight nations will arrive in the south of France hoping to book a return to the Rugby World Cup 2023 host nation through the Rugby Africa Cup 2022. This event in France doubles as the final round of Rugby World Cup 2023 qualifying for teams on the continent. It will take place between 1-10 July, 2022. 

The tournament will be held at Stade Maurice-David in Aix-en-Provence and Stade Pierre-Delort in Marseille, which hosted the RWC 2019 Final Qualification Tournament. The winner of the eight-team knockout competition will book a return to France 14 months later as Africa 1 at RWC 2023. 

The Africa 1 qualifier has been drawn in Pool A alongside New Zealand, hosts France, Italy and Uruguay. Whoever finishes as runners-up following the much-anticipated Rugby Africa Cup 2022 final on 10 July will still have a chance of qualifying for RWC 2023 through the Final Qualification Tournament.

Namibia, who are bidding to reach a seventh successive Rugby World Cup, Senegal, Uganda and Zimbabwe qualified for the quarter-finals as pool winners. They have been joined in the last eight by pool runners-up Burkina Faso, Algeria, Kenya and Ivory Coast.

Burkina Faso, the lowest competing nation on the World Rugby Men’s Rankings powered by Capgemini at 91, will take on Namibia, while Senegal play Algeria, Uganda face Kenya and Zimbabwe are scheduled to meet Ivory Coast between 1-2 July.

The winner of the quarter-final between Namibia and Burkina Faso will meet either Zimbabwe or Ivory Coast – who have appeared at three Rugby World Cups between them – in the semi-finals. Either Senegal or Algeria will then play the winner of the quarter-final between Uganda and East Africa rivals Kenya for a place in the final.

A bronze final, as well as fifth-place and seventh-place play-offs, will be held on 10 July prior to the final, in which Africa’s representative at RWC 2023 will be decided. The Rugby Africa Cup 2022 is a milestone on the road to Rugby World Cup 2023 and will be a magnificent celebration ahead of time in France and a great opportunity to contribute to the development of African rugby.

The tournament will honor the emerging rugby unions, who are changing the sport of rugby and represent the strength of tomorrow. Playing this competition in the France that will also host the next Rugby World Cup will highlight the technical and physical skills of African best players and will contribute to the development of rugby on the continent.

The Rugby 15s World Cup qualifiers in France maintains the neutrality of the hosting country and guaranteed the attraction of more fans. Like Zimbabwe and Kenya, Uganda has tough sessions ahead in preparing for these tournaments.

Selected Rugby Cranes for the July Campign

Akera Komaketch, Joseph Aredo, Arthur Mpande, Asuman Mugerwa, Aziku Robert, Tawfik Bagalana, Chissano Joachim, Emmanuel Ecodu, Emong Eliphaz, Paul Epilo, Thomas Gwokto, Juuko Jude, Kanyanya Ronald, Kato Reynolds, Khani Aziziz, Colin Kimbowa, Ivan Kirabo, Saul Kivumbi, Ivan Magomu (Captain), Manano Alhaji, James Mugisha, Jacob Ochen, Uhuru Charles, Timothy Odongo, Faragi Odugo, Pius Ogena, Okia Solomon, George Scott Olwuoch, Michael Otto, Joseph Oyet, Alema Ruhweza, Lawrence Ssebuliba, Santos Ssenteza, Wanyama Conrad, Philip Wokorach.

Tournaments in July:

Elgon Cup First Leg (Uganda)

23rd July 2022

Second leg (Kenya)

30th July 2022

Rugby Africa Cup (France)

1st-10th July 2022

Having battled the tough ailment of Leukemia for close to a year, Soggy, on the night of 14th December 2021 breathed his last. On February 28th 1979 he met this world at birth and 42 years later he goes to meet his creator, the Almighty, God on December 14, 2021.

With a long list of 33 trophies, Soggy’s is an illustrious sporting career that spanned for a whole 13 seasons (years) from 1999 to 2012, before he retired playing and chose to joined the rank of a coach, plying his touchline job with the Heathens rugby club. 

Also, as the national team-the rugby Cranes, Toyota Buffaloes rugby club and finally Jinja’s Hippos rugby club coach, Soggy roamed. With all these teams, Robert Sseguya aka Soggy, was at the best of his game and won trophies if not titles for the teams.

He is a sports legend in the country whose love was not only for rugby where he eventually settled and greatly excelled, but also for Athletics, Football and Boxing, and, he wasn’t your ordinary sportsman at all those disciplines.

The country’s sports fraternity could be right to mourn for that reason, but to the rugby fraternity, they must eulogize the life of a legendary to the sport, with no amount of words to fully describe Soggy’s contribution to it.

At the time of his departure, Soggy had been the only rugby living legend having been a former Uganda Rugby Cranes national team captain and head coach. He has been an inspirational figure especially with his heart beating lovingly for the youths whom, many he coached and interested into joining rugby as a sport.

“We appreciate his dedication to the development of rugby as a popular sport and the nurturing of young rugby players,” Reads a tweeter statement by the Kobs rugby club. 

Jinja Hippos Rugby Club: Soggy, you found us at the bottom of the league and built us into a competitive team fighting at the top. Your talent as a coach unrivaled, you gave everything to our club. You will always be a legend. Thank you Soggy, for everything, may your soul forever Rest in Peace.

Impis Rugby Club: Words can’t express how saddened we are to learn of Coach Soggy’s demise. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family, friends and colleagues. The entire Uganda Rugby fraternity will miss you, Robert. May your soul Rest in Eternal Peace, Legend.  

Lady Cranes Rugby: 7s assistant coach in 2008 & 2009. In 2008, one of the URU men’s 7s was held alongside the women’s WC qualifiers. We won our semi hence qualifying for the WC. Soggy sat down & cried then asked for kit & jumped on pitch to play (1/2). Played for Uganda in the IRB Sevens circuit in 2001, 2003, 2004. He also coached the Uganda Rugby Cranes XV team. RIP #Coach.

KOBs Rugby Club UG: We are deeply saddened by the demise of Robert Seguya aka Soggy and sincerely commiserate with the family, friends and the entire rugby fraternity. We appreciate his dedication to the development of rugby as a popular sport and the nurturing of young rugby players. 

Heathens Rugby Club: This has hit us by far, words can’t describe the feeling. We’re so saddened and broken by your death coach soggy.  We treasure and celebrate all the moments we shared with you. May the angels receive you!

Mark Ssali: A veteran journalist, Mark Ssali described him as a loveable rugger and legend. “Robert Sseguya, known to us simply as Soggy. A whole generation of Ugandan players and fans fell in love with rugby because of you. Loving. Loveable. Legend. RIP.

Mark’s narrative of Soggy thus drives you to one life’s great thing – The rugger in breathing Soggy was at the best of the game of creating more and more friends, and, he never lost either to enmity.

Throughout his life in the Uganda Rugby, Soggy created no foes. Save for the days’ short-lived opponents during games as a player and then as a coach, that could last for only eighty (80) minutes which the rugby game lasts. Soggy created no enemies to himself, but a lot of time he spent making friends in Uganda, on the continent and the world.

He was selected for Africa Leopards twice in 2007 and 2008 being made captain on the first call. He won the Uganda Cup with Heathens 2010, 2009, 2007, 2005, 2004, 2002, 2001. He played for Uganda in 7s at the Commonwealth Games in 2006 and 2010.

Rugby and the sports fraternity have for that indeed lost an Icon in Sseguya Robert. He has been a living legend, one of the best to have graced the rugby field. He would also play some football, boxing and wasn’t bad either. He was a true sports man and represented his country Uganda well. Rest In Peace, Robert ‘Soggy’ Sseguya. We will miss you!

Uganda had had a brilliant performance on the opening day of the Safari Sevens on Saturday with an unbeaten run in Pool C. They (Uganda Men’s Sevens) capped it off with a 5th-place playoff final victory against Zimbabwe on day two.

The Safari Sevens were played at Nyayo National Stadium from October 30-31 with Uganda Men’s Sevens celebrating a 5th-place finish at Safari Sevens. Captained by Ian Munyani, the team lost contention for the Main Cup trophy after a 19-12 quarterfinal loss against archrivals Kenya Shujaa halting the cup dream.

This relegated Munyani’s led team to the 5/6th place playoff semifinal where they faced Samurai who had had a rather mediocre weekend. They were able to hold off a comeback from the world class talent-laden international outfit to win 17-14 in the tense semifinal.

Aaron Ofoywroth was on top form in the final against Zimbabwe as the Uganda Men signed out in style after an impressive trip to the Nairobi. His brace of tries, and then some more from Kelvin Balagadde, Adrian Kasito and Timothy Kisiga delivered the 29-12 victory.

With such performance, Uganda have suggestively improved from their last outing at the Safari Sevens in 2019 when they lost the Challenge Trophy final. The team that was only assembled with one week to go for the event won five out of six matches played over two days against opposition that included two HSBC Sevens Series core nations and the defending champions.

Up next, with a busy 2022 calendar that includes Commonwealth Games, Rugby Africa Cup and Rugby World Cup Sevens coming up, the performance is a good starting point for the campaign.