Dream still alive for top four in Africa
By Eric Odanga
From Kampala
The dream of playing at Rugby World Cup Sevens 2009 in Dubai remains alive for Tunisia, South Africa, Kenya and hosts Uganda after they reached the semi-finals of the Africa region women’s qualifier at Kyadondo RFC in Kampala on Saturday.
South Africa and Tunisia ended day one on top of their respective pools, the latter causing an upset by beating second seeds Uganda 12-5 with Dorsaf Mahbouli scoring a try against the run of play right at the death to seal victory.
Ugandan vice captain Hellen Buteme had raced past the Tunisian defence to score the first try against the north Africans in the Pool B decider, only for Manal Khabacha to reply for Tunisia just before half time to level the scores at 5-5.
When Tunisia’s Nesrine Ghariani was yellow carded, Uganda failed to make the most of their numerical advantage despite pinning their opponents in their own half and ultimately paid the price with Mahbouli’s late try.
A heavy downpour in Kampala had threatened this qualifier. The field was flooded and a recently erected wall on the adjacent ground impeded the drainage system. However the skies quickly cleared to pave the way for an exciting day of top-class women’s rugby.
Top seeds South Africa were barely tested as they conceded only one try on their way to the semi-finals with captain Saloma Booysen and Yolanda Meering the cogs on which the South African wheels turned.
Sole focus is qualification
Natasha Hofmeester scored hat-tricks in both South Africa’s 43-0 defeat of Uganda A – who stepped in after Ivory Coast and Madagascar withdrew to make eight teams – 34-5 victory over Kenya, the fourth seeds in this qualifying tournament.
Kenya had already confirmed their place in the semi-finals before that defeat, having avoided a surprise loss to Zambia thanks to captain Celestine Masinde’s try sealing a 20-19 victory and then overcome Uganda A 17-0.
“The experience has been great. It is a tough competition but my team came through. We came here for a reason, which is to win and go to Dubai. Qualification for Dubai will mean a lot and could spur the development of rugby back home,” said South Africa playmaker Booysen.
In Pool B, both Tunisia and Uganda kept clean sheets in overcoming Botswana and Zimbabwe in their opening matches, the 12 days the Tunisians had spent in camp in Cape Town in the build up to the tournament paying dividends as they then overcame the hosts.
Olfa Sabbagh, the Tunisian captain, had too much pace but it was their technical organisation which saw them sail into the semi-finals. They could strike from anywhere in the field and were as combative as they were incisive in their runs.
There was little difference between the top four seeds teams in South Africa, Uganda, Tunisia and Kenya on day one, but it was also evident that Zambia, Botswana and Zimbabwe are narrowing the gap to the region’s leading women’s teams.
“Kenya and Tunisia were very tough,” admitted South Africa coach Denver Wannies. “It will be hard on the second day. Any of the top four teams have a chance to pull it through in the semi-final and qualify.
Team for the future
“The quality has improved because there is something to play for. The organisation has improved. Uganda, Kenya and Tunisia were always going to be the teams to beat. Tunisia had a good build up in South Africa and it shows. It was a surprise for them to beat Uganda.”
Botswana may have failed to score a point in their three defeats in Pool B, but coach Shaun Lee was able to find positives from his side’s encounters in Kampala, performances which caught the eye of other teams in the tournament.
“We knew it was going to be tough, our girls were taught a lesson today,” Lee said. “The players have been playing touch rugby since last year. We wanted to try and win one game but the main idea was to give them exposure.”
Uganda captain Christine Kizito was one who saw the potential of the Botswana team, admitting after their encounter that “these girls are young and they have hard tackles. We made them pay for mistakes but it is a team for the future.”
Kizito was understandably disappointed by Uganda’s loss to Tunisia, the home side feeling the weight of expectation and suffering from the loss of key players Charlotte Mudoola and Rachael Kakaire to injuries.
“It was just hard luck we lost,” Kizito admitted. “For the five years we have been playing rugby, this is the only thing we have been longing for. The pressure is too much. It will be a battleground and we need to beat any team on the way to qualify.”
The two nations who reach the final will qualify for Dubai next March, taking the number of regional qualifiers for the first RWC Sevens women's competition to 11 with only the Asia and Americas qualifying tournaments remaining in October.
Day one results:
Pool A: South Africa 43 Uganda A 0, Kenya 20 Zambia 19, South Africa 31 Zambia 0, Kenya 17 Uganda A 0, Uganda A 0 Zambia 33, South Africa 34 Kenya 5.
Pool B: Uganda 30 Zimbabwe 0, Tunisia 45 Botswana 0, Uganda 48 Botswana 0, Tunisia 54 Zimbabwe 0, Zimbabwe 24 Botswana 0, Uganda 5 Tunisia 12.
Match statistics:
South Africa 43 Uganda A 0 (HT 24-0)
Tries: Natasha Hofmeester (3), Yolanda Meiring (2), Saloma Booysen, Lorinda Brown
Conversions: Yolanda Meiring (3), Natasha Hofmeester.
Kenya 20 Zambia 19 (HT 10-12)
Tries, Kenya: Irene Awino (2), Celestine Masinde (2).
Tries, Zambia: Agnes Mutambalika (2), Mary Mbewe. Conversions: Carol Mpululuka (2).
Uganda 30 Zimbabwe 0 (HT 10-0)
Tries: Brenda Kayiyi, Hellen Buteme, Christine Kizito, Winnie Etyang, Harriet Kanyinyi.
Yellow Card: Abigail Gondo (Zimbabwe).
Tunisia 45 Botswana 0 (HT 26-0)
Tries: Olfa Sabbagh, Aqualef Ben Hessine(2), Nesrine Ghariani (2), Dorsaf Mahbouli (2). Conversions: Olfa Sabbagh (4), Nesrine Ghariani.
South Africa 31 Zambia 0 (HT 12-0)
Tries: Aimee Barrett, Yolanda Meiring, Pumezi Gadu, Nomathamsanqa Faleni, Natasha Hofmeester. Conversions: Yolanda Meiring (3)
Yellow Card: Mandisa Williams (South Africa)
Kenya 17 Uganda A 0 (HT 12-0)
Tries: Doreen Remour, Celestine Masinde, Irene Awino. Conversion: Doreen Remour.
Yellow Cards: Sauda Adiru, Agnes Nantongo (Uganda A).
Uganda 48 Botswana 0 (HT 24-0)
Tries: Fortunate Irankunda, Hellen Buteme, Winnie Etyang (2), Christine Kizito (2), Resenburg Kanyunyuzi, Harriet Kanynyi. Conversions: Charlotte Modoola (4)
Tunisia 54 Zimbabwe 0 (HT 26-0)
Tries: Nesrine Ghariani, Aqualef Ben Hessine (2), Ikhlas Abida (2), Olfa Sabbagh, Dorsaf Mahbouli (2), Conversions: Olfa Sabbagh (7)
Uganda A 0 Zambia 33 (HT 0-26)
Tries: Sithembile Kasawala, Agness Mutambalika (2), Shirley Mwaami (2), Conversions: Carol Mpululuka (4)
South Africa 34 Kenya 5 (HT 17-0)
Tries, South Africa: Lorinda Brown (2), Yolanda Meiring, Natasha Hofmeester (3), Conversion: Yolanda Meiring (2).
Tries, Kenya: Anita Omondi.
Yellow Cards: Doreen Remour (Kenya), Saloma Booysen (South Africa).
Zimbabwe 24 Botswana 0 (HT 12-0)
Tries: Precious Marange (2), Charity Mucucuti, Lucia Marisamhuka, Conversion: Lucia Marisamhuka (2).
Yellow Cards: Getrude Buindi (Zimbabwe).
Uganda 5 Tunisia 12 (HT 5-5)
Tries, Tunisia: Aqualef Ben Hessine, Dorsaf Mahbouli, Conversion: Olfa Sabbagh.
Tries, Uganda: Hellen Buteme.
Yellow Cards: Nesrine Ghariani (Tunisia).
