Coach Charles Onen walked off the RFUEA Grounds on Sunday with a mix of pride and purpose, convinced that his Lady Cranes had shown Uganda just how far they have come—and how much further they can go.
The Uganda women’s rugby coach was at the centre of a spirited bronze-medal finish at the 2025 Rugby Africa Women’s 7s in Nairobi, where his side overpowered Madagascar 38–12 to seal third place.
Onen’s influence was evident throughout the campaign. From the explosive start in the group stages to the final whistle of the bronze-medal playoff, Uganda played with structure, hunger and belief.
The tries came from everywhere—Peace Lekuru, Samiya Ayikoru, Grace Nabaggala, Suzan Adong, Lydia Namabiro and Unity Namulala—as the Lady Cranes tore through Madagascar with pace and precision.
Their path to the podium had begun flawlessly. Uganda topped their group after flawless wins over Burkina Faso and Zambia, before storming into the quarterfinals where they dispatched Tunisia 31–12.
A tense semi-final against hosts Kenya halted their progress, with the Lionesses edging them 17–10 in a match that slipped away in the dying minutes.
But under Onen’s guidance, the Lady Cranes refused to dwell on the setback. They regrouped, reset, and delivered one of their most complete performances of the tournament in the bronze match—matching their third-place finish from last year.
After the final whistle, Onen credited the team’s spirit and growth: “Generally the tournament was a good one for us. We lost only one game, and it was in the semifinals in the dying minutes. It was a crucial stage where we needed to step up more, but I give credit to the girls for the big fight—they managed to finish strong against Madagascar.”
He emphasised that the journey doesn’t end in Nairobi: “We have come so far with the girls. They have developed so much over the past years. When we go back home, we need to keep our program alive and find more playing time for the girls so that we maintain the momentum.”
Although Uganda’s third-place finish wasn’t enough to secure qualification for the 2025–26 HSBC SVNS Series Division Three—claimed by champions South Africa—the Lady Cranes leave Nairobi with renewed belief and a coach determined to push them even higher.
