The Rugby Africa Cup will return to the continent with eight confirmed nations competing. Uganda, which will also be a participant, is set to host the tournament from July 18 to July 29, 2024, at the newly refurbished Nelson Mandela National Stadium in Namboole.
The competition will feature eight teams: defending champions Namibia, former champions Kenya Simbas (winners in 2011 and 2013), hosts Uganda, as well as Algeria, Ivory Coast, Senegal, Zimbabwe, and Burkina Faso.
The Rugby Africa Cup is set to return, having last been held in 2022 at the Stade Delort in Marseille and the Stade Maurice David in Aix-en-Provence, France. The previous tournament featured an 8-team knockout format, with the winner automatically qualifying for the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
During the virtual launch on Wednesday, May 22, at Kings Park, Rugby Africa President Herbert Mensah expressed confidence in the success of the upcoming tournament in Uganda.
“We know it’s going to be a festival of rugby. We know it’s going to exhibit the wonders of Uganda. But it’s also something that they bid for two years so they’ve got it for 2024 and for 2025.
And it means that we are now going to have access to a refurbished stadium. I believe the Mandela National Stadium will be ready. It’s going to give a chance for you in Uganda to welcome the fans from across the whole of Africa to the Pearl.
Let’s see what your hospitality is really like, whether the weather is upstanding, and whether we’d all want to come back to Uganda for holidays thereafter.”
In 2022, Namibia emerged victorious in the Rugby Africa Cup, defeating the Kenya Simbas 36-0 in the final, securing their spot as Africa’s top team and qualifying directly for the Rugby World Cup.
Kenya, finishing second, earned a place in the final World Cup qualification tournament, known as the Repechage. Algeria claimed third place by overcoming Zimbabwe with a 20-12 victory.
The tournament marked a significant milestone as it was the first time all eight participating African teams competed in a single country under a promotion-relegation system. This new format aims to enhance the competitive structure and elevate the level of rugby across the continent.
The president of the Rugby Africa federation emphasized the importance of government cooperation in the sport’s development. Increased collaboration between governments and rugby unions is seen as essential for fostering the growth and success of rugby in Africa.
Government support can provide necessary resources, infrastructure, and policies that are pivotal for nurturing talent and promoting the sport at both grassroots and professional levels.
The success of the 2022 Rugby Africa Cup and the push for greater governmental involvement underline the potential for rugby to expand and thrive in Africa, contributing to the sport’s global development and increasing its popularity across the continent.
“Listen, you receive two and a quarter million, but you need five to seven million to provide rugby for all. There are some saying you are not providing rugby for every nation, but that is not true. Our plan clearly is to do that and we can only do it with the Ugandas of this world.
“Uganda is the first country to embrace the philosophy, that marriage with government, which means that the hosting rights are being paid for by Uganda for the first time. This has enabled us to spend more money on air tickets to bring more countries in.” Mensah said.
