Standing L-R: Agnes Nantongo, Harriet Kayonjo, Aalliya Adania, Justine Bayiga, Christine Kizito. Front row L-R: Winnie Alexandra Atyang, Rachael Babirye Kakaire, Charlotte Mudoola, Helen Koyokoyo Buteme (captain), Prossy Nakakande and Rosenburg Kanyunyuzi. COURTESY PHOTO
In Summary
RUGBY. In 2009, the Lady Rugby Cranes pulled down all the hurdles to qualify for the IRB Women’s 7s World Cup in Dubai, UAE
It was Uganda’s first-ever team at any sort of Rugby World Cup. The team, coached by former Rugby Cranes stars David ‘Mutaks’ Mutaka and Robert ‘Soggy’ Seguya, lost all their three group games but picked valuable experience and exposure from the tournament. Uganda lost 50-0 to New Zealand, 26-0 to South Africa and 12-7 to Italy, before losing 12-7 to Brazil in their last placement game. We look at the squad that achieved the feat of playing in the World Cup in 2009.
Agnes Nantongo: She was playing for Thunderbirds then, as a prop. Before rugby, she played basketball for A1 Challenge. She has since quit rugby but still plays for A1 Challenge.
Harriet Kayonjo: A veteran of the game, she was playing in the team’s backline. She still plays for Thunderbirds. Her daughter, Norah Nabasirye, plays for the Kyadondo Eagles as a fly-half.
Aalliya Irene Adania. Playing for the now-defunct Rangers, Adania did not get any playing time in Dubai. She was nicknamed ‘Schwarzenegger’ for her strength as a prop/hooker. She currently turns out for Thunderbirds.
Justine Bayiga: A national team athlete then, Bayiga relied on her pace to whizz past opponents. Against Brazil and Italy, she touched down. After the tournament, she temporarily went off the rugby scene but tried to bounce back in 2012 for the World Cup qualifiers. She failed to break through and went back to athletics again. She is currently a Police officer and still competes in local races.
Christine Kizito: To many people, rugby is all about raw power and physique, Kizito had it all in plenty. Her rugby journey started in Entebbe with the Mongers. She joined Thunderbirds in 2014 and became an integral part at club and national team levels.
Kizito, a prop, had a physique that sent chills down her opponents’ spines and she used it to maximum advantage. However, off the pitch, she is a gentle giant; soft-spoken and tranquil. She commands respect in the rugby circles because of her contribution to the sport. She is a qualified coach, who has served as rugby development officer, and works as a manager at Kyadondo Rugby Football Club (KYRFC).
Many players have blossomed under her tutelage. Her son, Ambrose Reynolds Kato, plays for Hima Cement Heathens, a topflight side.
Winnie Alexandra Atyang: She was also from Thunderbirds. In this Lady Cranes team, she was playing as a prop. She still plays for Thunderbirds and is also targeting a return to the national side.
Rachel Babirye Kakaire: A daughter to former Fufa president Twaha Kakaire, Babirye played in the Lady Cranes backline.
She was also the team’s specialised kicker, due to her football background. She still kicks for the team and also plays for Thunderbirds.
Charlotte Mudoola: Another player from the defunct Rangers. She comes from a ‘rugby-mad’ family that boasts of former national team players, Fred and Timothy Mudoola. She is one of the longest-serving players in the women’s game.
Her drive and commitment are unrivalled. She is the current captain of Black Panthers.
Helen Koyokoyo Buteme: She was the captain and played for Black Panthers then. Talking about the history of women’s rugby without mentioning her name is like talking about the Catholic Church without mentioning the Pope’s name.
Buteme was there when everything started. She started out with Thunderbirds before deciding to spread the game across the nation. The former hockey star started Black Panthers, then headed to Entebbe, where she initiated the Entebbe Sharks. Currently, she is a coach-player at Jinja-based Walukuba Titans, a team she also formed. Buteme retired from the national team in 2014. She spends most of her time spreading the rugby gospel and spotting raw talent.
In 2013, she had a stint in the English Women’s Rugby Premiership with the Thurrock Thunderbirds. Professionally, Buteme is a research scientist in the department of Medical Microbiology at the College of Health Sciences, Makerere University and is undertaking a joint PhD degree at Makerere University, and Karolinska Institute in Sweden.
She is the general secretary, Uganda Women’s Rugby Association, and also coaches the Jinja Police Teargas Rangers, which plays in the Women’s U-19 league.
Prossy Nakakande: She was playing for Black Panthers then. She last featured for the Lady Cranes last year.
Rosenburg Kanyunyuzi: Another one from Thunderbirds. In Dubai, she played as a hooker, a position she would alternate with Brenda Kayiyi. She still plays for Thunderbirds.
skanyike@ug.nationmedia.com
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