Twiga Kings learn valuable lessons in South Africa

DAR ES SALAAM: TANZANIA national men’s Rugby Sevens team, the Twiga Kings, returned from South Africa with valuable international experience after recording one victory and suffering defeats during the Obaro Willem Strauss International 7s Tournament in Limpopo.

The two-day tournament, which ended over the weekend at Phamale Sport Village in Modimolle, exposed the Tanzanian side to stronger opposition and highlighted areas requiring improvement as the team seeks to become more competitive internationally.

Tanzania Rugby Union (TRU) Secretary General Anthony Dawa said the tour was an important learning opportunity for the players and technical staff, providing practical lessons to guide preparations for future competitions.

The Twiga Kings faced Mogol, Harties Hawks 1 and UXi Warriors in the pool stage but failed to register a victory on the opening day.

However, Tanzania responded strongly on the second day, defeating Naboom 31–0 after scoring five tries and three conversions to advance to the Bowl semi-final. Their campaign ended in the semi-final following a 38–5 defeat to Dipoo.

The contrasting results demonstrated the team’s potential while exposing gaps in its ability to maintain consistency against experienced opposition.

According to Dawa, the competition provided an opportunity to assess the team’s strengths and weaknesses, particularly in defensive organisation, decision-making under pressure, attacking execution, physical preparation and game management.

He said international exposure remained important in helping Tanzanian players understand the standards required to compete successfully at a higher level.

The October 22–26 tour also gave TRU an opportunity to strengthen relationships with international rugby stakeholders and explore partnerships to support player development and the growth of the sport in Tanzania.