Revisiting the time rugby was played at Namboole Stadium
Mandela National Stadium Namboole is set to host the 2024 Rugby Africa Men's Cup. Revisit the one and only time in history when rugby was played at the facility. The post Revisiting the time rugby was played at Namboole Stadium appeared first on Kawowo Sports.
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Mandela National Stadium is a multi-disciplinary sports complex sitting on 128 acres of land along the Jinja Highway in Namboole. The main forty-thousand-seater arena is primarily a football and track & field facility but also hosts indoor events.
Test rugby will join the list of major events which have been hosted at Namboole when the 2024 Rugby Africa Men’s Cup kicks off on Saturday, July 20.
However, this will not be the first time rugby goes to the home of Ugandan football. Fourteen years ago in 2010, the national 7s series finale was played there.
Then known as the ‘Hima Sevens Circuit’, the finale was played on Saturday, October 2 after three rounds at House of Pain Entebbe, The Graveyard Makerere, and Kampala (now Legends) Rugby Club.
Makerere Impis led the standings going into the Namboole round ahead of Toyota Buffaloes and UTL KOBs in that order. Other participating teams included MTN Heathens, Entebbe Mongers, Summerkamp (now Warriors), G4S Pirates, and Rhinos. The men’s 7s national team took part as they prepared for that year’s Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, India.
The national team beat KOBs in the Cup Final but points went to KOBs since the former was only an exhibition team in the circuit. KOBs were thus declared winners.
Impis’ third-place finish earned them enough points to be crowned overall champions of the circuit. This is their first and only national 7s series title in history.
There were other attempts for rugby to feature at Namboole, albeit unsuccessfully. Like in October 2010 for the Uganda Cup semifinals and in June 2024 for the Nile Special Rugby Championship Playoffs Final.
However, this time, for African rugby’s biggest showpiece, all signs indicate that it will be successful.
Uganda Rugby Cranes will face Zimbabwe Sables in the Quarterfinals at 4 p.m. EAT.
The post Revisiting the time rugby was played at Namboole Stadium appeared first on Kawowo Sports.
