The National 7s Series heavyweights showed their class in the Kabale highlands, but it was the Kyadondo-based Buffaloes and the resurgent Thunderbirds who left with the weekend’s biggest prizes.
Buffaloes charge through the “Group of Death”
Drawn in the season’s toughest pool, the Buffaloes muscled past the Rhinos and KOBs before a bruising quarterfinal against the Hippos left Daniels Otim limping and Humphrey Ndahura bandaged.
Undeterred, they edged fellow giants Heathens 10–5 in a gritty semifinal. Forwards Douglas Musoke, Moses Olweny and Fat Moses Watmon dominated collisions and turnovers while backs Ronald Ogwang and Aziz Karim kept the attack sharp. Vice-captain Meddi Abdullah’s steady leadership proved decisive.
The final against the Walukuba Barbarians was a thriller. After an early converted try gave Buffaloes the lead, the Barbarians hit back through a Shafic Mansur score.
But repeated handling errors and missed lineouts hurt them. With the hooter gone, Musoke powered over from a ruck for the winning try, calmly converted to seal a dramatic 19–12 victory.
The Kabale triumph, added to a win in Gulu and a runner-up finish in Entebbe, lifts Buffaloes to second in the National 7s standings.
They head home for the Buffaloes 7s needing a circuit victory and a Barbarians stumble to keep their title hopes alive.
Thunderbirds back on top
In the women’s competition, the Thunderbirds ended a brief drought in style. Series leaders heading into Kabale, they swept through Day 1, routing the Kigezi Queens by 50 points and outlasting the Black Pearls before dispatching the She Wolves and Walukuba Titans to reach the final.
The Nile Rapids, fresh from wins in Entebbe and Kyabazinga, offered stiff resistance. Early tries from Agnes Nakuya and Comfort Angayika gave the Thunderbirds control.
The Rapids replied through Shaine Babirye, but a late Thunderbirds strike sealed a 15–10 victory and their first circuit crown since the Coronation 7s.
With the win, Thunderbirds stretch their series lead to 116 points, tightening their grip on the national title as the tour heads to Kyadondo.
Next Stop: Kyadondo
The Buffaloes and Thunderbirds return home with silverware and momentum, perfectly poised for a decisive Buffaloes 7s weekend that could decide the 2025 National 7s champions.
