Uganda Rugby and Tunisia Rugby have lined up a second U-20 trial game to strengthen the partnership ahead of the Barthes Cup.
Uganda and Tunisia formalised this partnership back in November of 2023 with the signing of an MoU and playing two games against each other’s men and women teams. This partnership had, however, stalled due to clashing rugby calendars, but now it seems to have found new life through the youth of their respective Under 20 sides and their management.
Tunisia arrived in Uganda early enough to begin preparations for the Barthes Cup to be played this August in Kampala, thus presenting an opportunity to advance bilateral interests of both rugby unions.
The first trial game was played last Sunday at Kyadondo Rugby Grounds with Uganda emerging 20-13 victors over their North African counterparts. Then followed the high-performance training sessions between the two sides as they prepared to face off once again on Thursday, July 30 at Kampala Rugby.
This second trial game is the final opportunity for both technical teams to measure their level of preparedness under a simulated competitive setting.
After Thursday’s match, Uganda and Tunisia will have a few more joint training sessions on Saturday and Sunday before each team retreats to their camp to prepare to compete in their respective divisions.
“The joint training sessions with Tunisia are important in the sense that they have given our boys more technical enhancement, given the fact that Tunisia are in the performance group. They also serve to alert Ugandans that we are ready to host the Barthes Cup U20,” notes Sarah Adong, the chairperson of the Local Organising Committee.
After the trial game on Thursday, the U20 Cranes aren’t expected to take on any more such engagements as the selectors get ready to trim the squad down to a 28-player tournament squad.