Why Paarwater is backing Simbas to maul Uganda Cranes
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Reading Time: 2min | Tue. 08.07.25. | 11:00
The Simbas will be aiming to bounce back after a mixed outing in last year’s Africa Cup, where they finished fourth
Kenya Simbas head coach Jerome Paarwater believes his charges are mentally and physically ready to take on Uganda Cranes in the Rugby Africa Cup quarterfinals slated for Tuesday, 8 July, at the Nelson Mandela Stadium in Namboole, Kampala.
Paarwater's confidence, heading to the match, stems from the lack of injuries and proper preparation for the squad.
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The only two injured members of the team were the Menengai Oilers' duo of Samson Onsomu and speedster Beldad Ogeta, who were dropped.
The rest, according to Paarwater, are ready for the continental contest.
“The guys are looking well prepared and ready for the tournament in Uganda. We are glad that we do not have any serious injuries within the team. There have been a lot of lessons learned in South Africa, and the players bonded very well with each other; this improves the teamwork both on and off the field," he said.
The match reignites a long-standing East African rivalry.
It comes just months after the Simbas clinched a 48-30 aggregate win over the Cranes in the Elgon Cup (27-25 in Nairobi and 21-5 in Kampala).
This time, however, the stakes are much higher.
A direct ticket to the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia awaits the winner of the tournament, while the runner-up will have a second shot via a global repechage.
The Simbas will be aiming to bounce back after a mixed outing in last year’s Africa Cup, where they finished fourth.
Kenya were stunned 20-12 by Algeria in the semifinals and later fell to Namibia in the third-place playoff, a result that forced them into this quarterfinal tie against Uganda.
With the 2027 Rugby World Cup expanding from 20 to 24 teams, Simbas are aware that this year’s Africa Cup presents perhaps their best chance yet to break the qualification jinx.
The semi-finals will be played on Sunday, 13 July, with the final slated for Saturday, 19 July.
