Prossy Nakakande
5 March 1984
Height: 5’3
Weight: 55kg
Prossy says … I always enjoyed the 7’s training sessions. Unlike the 15s sessions, the 7s sessions were more of action thatn talking. There was something new to learn from each session: new moves, skills, abilities, … (interesting). Based on fitness and speed I was confident that I would make it on the 14 (wo)man provisional squad but the position I was training for demamded for more than just that. Confidence and skills as a scrumhalf are very vital. Anyway, I took each day as it comes, so I patiently waited for the dreaded weekend of the world cup qualifiers.
We reported into camp (hotel equatoria) on Wednesday 17th September and all was good. I developed serious 'rugby cramps' (does such a thing exist?) on Thursday morning. I woke up at 5.30am and this huge cloud of rugby was driving me nuts. I could not go back to sleep so I dived on the couch until time for breakfast. I was so relieved after the morning training session when the 'rugby cramps' disappeared for good.
Friday 19th was high and fly for me. On Saturday 20th September, I felt like a winner already as I was confident. I substituted Helen in the game against Botswana and just after getting onto pitch I had to make a big tackle. Unfortunately as Christine came to ruck she collided with me and I got a nasty head knock. The earth made 2 revolutions per second instead of its usual 1 revolution in 366days. Day time stars danced in front of my eyes and I was unable to continue with the days games in that state.
Our final game on Saturday was against Tunisia. It is not everyday that a man shows emotion but as mutaks urged us to play our hearts out he unconsciously slid from the chair on which he was sitting until he ended up on his knees on the ground where he stayed until his speech was done. Then soggy said this prayer full of everything we could have thought of asking for from God at that particular moment. I felt so useless sitting on that bench because even when charlotte got concussed I could not be played. We lost 12 – 05 and mutaks was speechless. Soggy tried to tell girls to forget about the loss that our dream was still within reach. Rumour had it that we would play south Africa in the semifinal and although they were ranked number 1 in Africa I thought that they had not played anything more than ordinary rugby so I knew we could take them on. It would be either them or us. Tight stuff.
The silence and sadness in our camp made my mind go blank. When our semi final was confirmed, we were to meet Tunisia again, girls had to shake themselves out of their numb state. It seemed like an uphill task to beat a team that we had just lost to but girls slowly gained determination and the urge to correct their mistakes and have their revenge on the tunis. God could not have blessed the team more when he made those mutaks and soggy our coaches. If not for me and my country, I felt that it was up to me and the rest of the team to reward these guys by qualifying for the world cup. seriously I did not care much about the loss to Tunisia for I knew the decider was yet to come, be it S.A, Kenya or whoever. I had that much confidence in my teammates and I already felt like a winner so I said a silent prayer to God and asked Him for special blessings for our team. The coach’s condition had me more worried than the rival teams did. Mutaks could pace for miles and miles in a 5 metre space. To me his face said a desparate,’I don’t know what else to do.’ And it was only God and time that would revive him.
On Sunday, I was deemed fit enough to play although not a full game. I came on for harriet in the second half of the semifinal. When I made a big tackle on the Tunisia winger that had been causing problems the entire tournament, my soul said, ‘for mutaks & soggy, for charlotte and to dubai’. I did not care if the Tunisians hogged the ball the whole game as long as they never broke through our defence line. After the final whistle, I thanked God and the first people I hugged were charlotte, mutaks, soggy and then the rest followed. Of course a juicy hug for Helen: she played hardest and also taught me all the rugby I know.
Now we call ourselves ‘world cup material’ and it feels very good to have teammates to share the joy with. I am very proud to be part of the rugby lady cranes squad that qualified for the 2009 7’s world cup and at this point ‘sky is the limit! Come S.A, then Dubai, fly lady cranes!’
5 March 1984
Height: 5’3
Weight: 55kg
Prossy says … I always enjoyed the 7’s training sessions. Unlike the 15s sessions, the 7s sessions were more of action thatn talking. There was something new to learn from each session: new moves, skills, abilities, … (interesting). Based on fitness and speed I was confident that I would make it on the 14 (wo)man provisional squad but the position I was training for demamded for more than just that. Confidence and skills as a scrumhalf are very vital. Anyway, I took each day as it comes, so I patiently waited for the dreaded weekend of the world cup qualifiers.
We reported into camp (hotel equatoria) on Wednesday 17th September and all was good. I developed serious 'rugby cramps' (does such a thing exist?) on Thursday morning. I woke up at 5.30am and this huge cloud of rugby was driving me nuts. I could not go back to sleep so I dived on the couch until time for breakfast. I was so relieved after the morning training session when the 'rugby cramps' disappeared for good.
Friday 19th was high and fly for me. On Saturday 20th September, I felt like a winner already as I was confident. I substituted Helen in the game against Botswana and just after getting onto pitch I had to make a big tackle. Unfortunately as Christine came to ruck she collided with me and I got a nasty head knock. The earth made 2 revolutions per second instead of its usual 1 revolution in 366days. Day time stars danced in front of my eyes and I was unable to continue with the days games in that state.
Our final game on Saturday was against Tunisia. It is not everyday that a man shows emotion but as mutaks urged us to play our hearts out he unconsciously slid from the chair on which he was sitting until he ended up on his knees on the ground where he stayed until his speech was done. Then soggy said this prayer full of everything we could have thought of asking for from God at that particular moment. I felt so useless sitting on that bench because even when charlotte got concussed I could not be played. We lost 12 – 05 and mutaks was speechless. Soggy tried to tell girls to forget about the loss that our dream was still within reach. Rumour had it that we would play south Africa in the semifinal and although they were ranked number 1 in Africa I thought that they had not played anything more than ordinary rugby so I knew we could take them on. It would be either them or us. Tight stuff.
The silence and sadness in our camp made my mind go blank. When our semi final was confirmed, we were to meet Tunisia again, girls had to shake themselves out of their numb state. It seemed like an uphill task to beat a team that we had just lost to but girls slowly gained determination and the urge to correct their mistakes and have their revenge on the tunis. God could not have blessed the team more when he made those mutaks and soggy our coaches. If not for me and my country, I felt that it was up to me and the rest of the team to reward these guys by qualifying for the world cup. seriously I did not care much about the loss to Tunisia for I knew the decider was yet to come, be it S.A, Kenya or whoever. I had that much confidence in my teammates and I already felt like a winner so I said a silent prayer to God and asked Him for special blessings for our team. The coach’s condition had me more worried than the rival teams did. Mutaks could pace for miles and miles in a 5 metre space. To me his face said a desparate,’I don’t know what else to do.’ And it was only God and time that would revive him.
On Sunday, I was deemed fit enough to play although not a full game. I came on for harriet in the second half of the semifinal. When I made a big tackle on the Tunisia winger that had been causing problems the entire tournament, my soul said, ‘for mutaks & soggy, for charlotte and to dubai’. I did not care if the Tunisians hogged the ball the whole game as long as they never broke through our defence line. After the final whistle, I thanked God and the first people I hugged were charlotte, mutaks, soggy and then the rest followed. Of course a juicy hug for Helen: she played hardest and also taught me all the rugby I know.
Now we call ourselves ‘world cup material’ and it feels very good to have teammates to share the joy with. I am very proud to be part of the rugby lady cranes squad that qualified for the 2009 7’s world cup and at this point ‘sky is the limit! Come S.A, then Dubai, fly lady cranes!’
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