Former Uganda international Hubert Wafula has been appointed as the coach of the Rwanda national rugby team on a short-term contract, according to the local rugby federation secretary general, Tharcisse Kamanda.

"We have hired him initially for two months to prepare the team for the forthcoming African Rugby Cup 1C Competition in Zambia. We have high expectations of him,” said Kamanda.

Rwanda has been drawn against hosts Zambia and Mauritius in Pool C for the 2017 Africa Rugby Cup, Group 1C, which is scheduled to start on March 24 and run through April 2 in Lusaka. Zambia is ranked 83rd and Mauritius are 89th, while Rwanda is far below in the 96th place globally.

The Africa Cup 1C is the third competition of the Africa Cup 1st division. Only the winner is promoted to Group B. In the other groups, Nigeria, Cameroon and Algeria are placed in Group North.

Wafula, a former national team captain retired in 2003 due to injury, and was appointed Uganda Sevens coach after attending an International Rugby Board (IRB) coaching course in Cape Town.

He holds an IRB Level 2 coaching certificate and was the first IRB educator for coaches in East and Central Africa. He led Uganda to the Safari Seven in Nairobi in 2012. The coach is supposed to name his squad this week.

Meanwhile, in the national rugby champions games played over the weekend, Kigali Sharks shocked defending champions Thousand Hills 27-10 while Remera Buffalo’s showed no sympathy for Lion de Fer hammering them 43-0 at Utexrwa ground.

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