The guardian angels project is an initiative that was launched by the Uganda rugby fanzone and Uganda rugby union last year under the Love rugby campaign. This campaign was a call out to all stakeholders in the game of rugby to help take it to greater heights.
The Guardian angels initiative started with support for the National 7s rugby team to take place in the CAR 7s tournament in Zimbabwe last year. A number of individuals and companies sponsored players’ costs in regards to allowance, meals and water amounting to 150Usd per month for two months. The union then sourced funds to cover transport for the contingent and other tournament related costs. This initiative helped the dream of many of these players come true and was also a major milestone in reviving 7s rugby.
This year the guardian angels is targeting the national team which has a number of engagements starting with the away leg of the annual Elgon cup in Nairobi on 13th June before the return leg on 20thjune. The Rugby cranes then get into the CAR tournament from 2nd – 11thjuly where they compete for promotion to Tier 1A alongside Madagascar, Ivorycoast, Senegal, Mauritius and Botswana.
The guardian angels project this year has been designed to cover all aspects with the core aim being building the following of the Rugby cranes and showing players their importance to country. Unlike the 7s tournament where guardian angels targeted players, this campaign will now target positions as the final team will be named towards the engagements. If an angel or group of angels picks a position, they will have supported all the players eventually called up in that position. Each position will be sponsored to the tune of 875,000 or 292 Usd per month to cover training costs of players such as meals, water, allowances for three months starting April. There will also be a National team basket which has two categories. There will be individual contributions from 500/= upwards daily or weekly depending on the individuals wish and group or company contributions ranging from 250,000/= going towards other National team related costs. The biggest call this year is a call to all fans to be part of the team’s journey from preparations till the end like watching training sessions and trial games to following all team news that will be availed very often.
Under this campaign sponsors and other stakeholders that have given to the game will be recognized too like Nile Special which last year won the Love Rugby Gold plaque for five years on continued support to the game of rugby.
