Rugby Cranes have intensively prepared for the HSBC Sevens World series which start with Emirates Airline Dubai Sevens on 2-3 December.
As African champions, Uganda will also take part as an invitational side. They have been drawn alongside South Africa, USA and Scotland in Pool B. Uganda will also be the invited team for the HSBC Cape Town Sevens a week later.
The Dubai 7s match ups are expected to again highlighted how wealthier countries are able to dominate rugby’s money-spinning stages.
But Phillip Wokorach who is undoubtedly the talisman of the Uganda team, said he understood the economic forces at work and despite going there as an invitational side, he promised the big dogs in the pool an especially tough time.
“We really know what we are going to face there,” Wokorach said Friday.
“We have been training for so long and since it is our first time, we want to shock them. “As a team, we think we can really shock one big dog in our group and that will motivate us to play well in the other circuits as well.
“In our pool we are playing against South Africa, Scotland and USA. In this pool, the South Africans seem to be the toughest but since it is the first game, I think we shall give it our all and see what will come out.
“But as I always say, on the field it’s a totally different ball game.
Wokorach added that all Ugandans and the players mostly earn a lot from being part of the lucrative 10-leg circuit.
Rugby Cranes’ coach Tolbert Onyango will never forget the most eye-catching result in Nairobi, where Uganda were deserved winners of the Rugby Africa Sevens after beating top seeds Kenya and Zimbabwe en route to the final against Namibia, which they won 38-19.
“It has been long coming and the boys have finally done it after many years,” said Onyango. “We got hungrier and had the belief after we beat Zimbabwe in our first match.”
James Odong and Philip Wokorach played starring roles for Uganda throughout the tournament and the final was no exception. Wokorach, who kicked four conversions, set Odong up for one of his two tries with a beautiful chip and also crossed the line himself as the Rugby Cranes sealed a memorable triumph.
