For ten years, Coach Tolbert Onyango has been the steady hand guiding Uganda Rugby Sevens. On Wednesday October 1, Uganda Rugby Union announced that he had stepped down from his role as head coach.
His decade at the helm has been one of growth, resilience, and history-making moments that changed how Uganda is seen on the rugby stage.
When he took charge in 2015, few could have predicted the transformation to come. He didn’t just see players, he saw potential, leaders in the making, and a nation capable of competing with the best.
Under his watch, Uganda won the Rugby Africa Sevens Championship four times 2016, 2017, 2022 and 2024.
Each title was a statement that Uganda had arrived. The 2022 win, in particular, secured qualification to both the Rugby World Cup Sevens and the Commonwealth Games, cementing Uganda’s place among top contenders.
Uganda went on to make two Rugby World Cup Sevens appearances, in 2018 and 2022 moments when the world truly took notice.
But Onyango’s legacy goes beyond medals. He built a culture of belief and consistency. Even in seasons without silverware, Uganda was always in the mix fighting for finals, pushing through Challenger Series events, and giving new players the chance to grow alongside veterans.
Players often e of his family-like approach, the encouragement, the discipline, the quiet sacrifices he made when support was thin. He built depth, trust and character.
His final tournament was the 2025 Rugby Africa Men’s 7s in Mauritius Uganda finished fifth.
Onyango recently joined Heathens Rugby Club as the head coach, with whom he has already won a silver medal in the national 7s series and two Cup Finals
Now, as he steps down after a decade, he leaves more than statistics. He leaves a foundation players who believe, coaches who are inspired, and a nation that now expects its sevens side to compete at the top.
The challenges ahead remain tough, breaking into the World Sevens Series core, navigating new qualification systems and sustaining support for the game. But thanks to Onyango, Uganda faces that future with confidence in the 7s.
He passes the torch to the next generation, but his imprint will endure. For ten years, he made sure Uganda Sevens did not just play, they grew, won and made history.
