Uganda’s She Cranes have once again rewritten their own history this time without having to throw a single pass. A major leap in the latest World Netball Rankings has sealed their place at the 2027 Netball World Cup, confirming Uganda among the elite six nations that earn automatic qualification to the Sydney showpiece.
What makes this achievement even more striking is how it has unfolded. Rather than waiting for the traditional qualification battles in 2026, Uganda forced their way into the global conversation through performance, consistency and sheer competitive grit. Their standout run at the 2025 Celtic Cup, highlighted by a morale-boosting victory over former sixth-ranked Wales, pushed the She Cranes up to sixth in the world just enough to grab the last automatic slot and dislodge Wales in the process.
The revised top six now reads like a snapshot of world netball’s superpowers: Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, England, South Africa… and Uganda.
For the She Cranes, this will mark their fifth appearance on the biggest stage, adding 2027 to campaigns in 1979, 2015, 2019 and 2023. And with their memorable fifth-place finish in Cape Town two years ago where they famously toppled hosts South Africa the team will head to Australia aiming not just to participate, but to break into the global top tier.
Head coach Rashid Mubiru and his squad now turn their attention to the 2025 Netball Africa Cup in Malawi next week, a timely test as Uganda prepares to carry the expectations of a nation suddenly no longer dreaming of mixing with the world’s best because they are already there.
