Uganda Dominate Zambia With 81-0 Victory In U20 Barthes Trophy First Division Opener
Uganda Dominate Zambia With 81-0 Victory In U20 Barthes Trophy First Division Opener Hosts Uganda deliver a commanding 81-0 win over Zambia in the first…
Hosts Uganda deliver a commanding 81-0 win over Zambia in the first leg of the 2026 U20 Barthes Trophy First Division clash.(Copyright Free Images, Fixtures and Streaming Information Below)
KAMPALA, Uganda – Hosts Uganda have stamped their authority early in the 2026 Rugby Africa U20 Barthes Trophy with an emphatic 81-0 win over Zambia in the first of two First Division clashes between the two sides.
The two countries, who are involved in the second-tier division of Africa’s top youth competition, will conclude their two-legged contest with the second match here at Muteesa II Stadium in Kampala on Tuesday, August 11.
Uganda were firmly in control throughout the first game, with their dominant pack consistently driving them forward and giving their strike runners opportunities to attack. The hosts kept the ball alive all the way to the try-line for 80 minutes, crossing the whitewash at regular intervals in a 13-try feast in front of a jubilant home crowd.
Joshua Magali, Dodovico Olowo (twice), Gideon Kisangala (twice), Sylvester Mungu-Acel, Faizo Baluku, Elijah Kantinti, Ambrose Sesbalijaa, Abraham Mujuni, Victor Agaba, Titus Allan and Johnny Okello all scored.
Uganda will be inspired by their previous performances in the second-tier league of this competition before the tournament was rebranded and renamed the Barthes Trophy in 2016.
When the East African nation hosted the event in 2015, the Junior Rugby Cranes won the ‘B’ section at Kyadondo Rugby Club in Kampala.
Uganda are eyeing promotion to the elite division of this Under-20 tournament, where they previously competed in 2005 and 2006 before the modern era of the Barthes Trophy.
After the second leg of their 2026 First Division contest with Zambia, the Ugandans will conclude their second-tier campaign against Zimbabwe on the final day of the tournament on 15 August.
Zimbabwe lost their Performance Division semi-final 35-23 to Kenya earlier in the day.
Performance Division
- Namibia
- Zimbabwe
- Kenya
- Tunisia
First Division
- Zambia
- Uganda
Friday 7 August 2026 (EAT)
- 10:00 - Namibia (11) vs Tunisia (6) (Performance Division)
- 13:00 - Kenya (35) vs Zimbabwe (23) (Performance Division)
- 16:00 - Zambia (0) vs Uganda (81) (First Division)
Tuesday 11 August 2026 (EAT)
- 12:00 - Tunisia () vs Zimbabwe () (Performance Division)
- 14:00 - Zambia () vs Uganda () (First Division)
- 16:00 - Namibia () vs Kenya () (Performance Division) (Winner of Tournament)
Saturday 15 August 2026 (EAT)
- 16:00 - Uganda vs Zimbabwe (Test Match)
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Rugby Africa (www.RugbyAfrique.com) is the governing body of rugby in Africa and one of the regional associations under World Rugby. It unites all African countries that play rugby union, rugby sevens, and women’s rugby. Rugby Africa organizes various competitions, including the qualifying tournaments for the Rugby World Cup and the Africa Sevens, a qualifying competition for the Olympic Games. With 39 member unions, Rugby Africa is dedicated to promoting and developing rugby across the continent. World Rugby highlighted Ghana, Nigeria and Zambia as three of the six emerging nations experiencing strong growth in rugby.
