Despite having been held to a 33-33 draw away by Kenya in a Rugby Africa Gold Cup cum Elgon Cup tie on Saturday at the RFUEA Ground in Nairobi, the Uganda 15s team climbed four places in the latest World Rugby standings.
The controversy-ridden Rugby Cranes started off the year with a 44th spot placing but now see themselves four places up to 40th.
Coaches John Duncan and Robert Seguya’s men will hope for better tidings when they get into matchday two and three of the Gold Cup from July 1 with an away tie against Senegal and then playing three home games on July 15 against Tunisia, Namibia and Zimbabwe at the normally packed Legends Rugby Club in Kampala in the final fixture of the Rugby Africa Gold Cup that includes the six best teams of Africa.
Uganda Scorers: Charles Uhuru (1 try), Brian Asaba, (1 try), Michael Wokorach (1 try), Philip Wokorach ( 3 conversions,4 penalties)
Neighbours Kenya are 40th in the world rankings while Zimbabwe moved up one spot to 35th courtesy of their win over Senegal in the Gold Cup, Namibia remained perched at 21st while Senegal moved down six places to 45th.
Meanwhile, South Africa remains the best placed African team having moved up to fifth on the rankings with the weekend 35-12 win over France handing them a 3-0 whitewash over Le Bleus in the series test match.
Having dropped to an all-time low of seventh following a disappointing set of November results, Allister Coetzee’s side are now 3.37 rating points better off than they were at the start of the month – and only half a point away from reclaiming a place in the top four.
AFRICA GOLD CUP
June 24 Kenya 33-33 Uganda (played)
July 1 Senegal v Uganda
July 15 Uganda v Tunisia
July 22 Uganda v Namibia
August 5 Uganda v Zimbabwe
