Blackbucks coach predicts bright future

Despite losing all their games in the CAR Women South East 7s tournament, Blackbucks coach Jean Baptiste Itanzi thinks the youthful team has a good future. The youngsters were beaten 44-0 by Zimbabwe and lost 54-0 to rugby giants South Africa in Group A preliminaries before going 24-0 against hosts Botswana. In the Plate semi-final Madagascar was too strong for Rwanda after a 36-0 win but Itanzi thinks there are many positives from his team’s performances. “Our team was the most inexperienced in the tourney but their passion and raw talent impressed everyone. We intend to keep this team together and continue to develop them for future tournaments,” Itanzi told Times Sport by email from Botswana. The team is scheduled to return home this morning. Meanwhile, the men’s team, the Silverbacks travels to Nairobi today to take part in the prestigious Safaricom 7s tourney. The youthful side will build on its recent form exhibited in the Jinja Nile 7s tourney where they finished third. The team will rely on Nile 7s top scorer, Vincent Kamali to try and tear the defences apart. Captain Benjamin Makombe will be deputized by youthful but lion-hearted Moise Habumugisha. The team will be boosted by the Ivan Makmot and Allan Amin Otim, who ply their trade in Uganda’s top flight clubs. According to head coach Joseph Bugabo, team selection was based on training attendance, fitness levels and game readership. “We are not going for a tour but to compete. The players have been training hard and we hope it pays off,” Bugabo said. The teams in the tournament include hosts Kenya, Emerging Boks, Bristol, Samurai, Spain, Auckland, Belmont Shore, Uganda, Zimbabwe, British Army, Grenoble, Tanzania, Zambia, Samoa, Rwanda and Shujaa Silverbacks team: Benjamin Makombe (C),Olivier Uwamahoro, Eric Mbarushimana, Luicen Bikamba, Moise Habumugisha (vice captain),Koko Marcel Cambara, Vincent Kamali, Aime Ndahirwa, Ignace Nsanzimana, Amin Otim, Ivan Makmot, Juvenal Gatabazi, Dider Kamanzi, Joseph Bugabo (coach), Alex Araire (official). Ends

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Blackbucks coach predicts bright future