Uganda Junior Rugby Cranes Sevens finished eighth at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games after losing 10-5 to hosts Senegal in the classification match at Complexe Iba Mar Diop Stadium on Monday.
Bonamy Bwambale crossed for Uganda's only try but Senegal's two tries proved decisive in the seventh-place decider.
The young side had earlier suffered a 22-0 defeat to Germany in the fifth-to-eighth-place semi-final on the same day.
Uganda managed only two tries across the tournament with Almadi Otema scoring against Japan in pool play.
France claimed gold ahead of South Africa and Argentina who completed the podium in Dakar.
The Junior Cranes were drawn in a brutal Pool B alongside France, Japan and Argentina which tested their resolve.
Coach Tolbert Onyango told reporters the exposure against top-tier nations will accelerate the players' development pathway.
The argument doing the rounds in Kampala is whether the Rugby Union should invest more in age-grade sevens structures to bridge the gap to established nations.
These players now return to their home clubs and schools to build on the Olympic experience gained in Senegal.
Final standings
- Gold: France
- Silver: South Africa
- Bronze: Argentina
- 7th: Senegal
- 8th: Uganda
Watch the Highlights
Source: Kawowo Sports
