As the hands of Mubiru’s clock approached the 11th hour, he embraced the role of game and time management, attacked the breakdown and made a tackle that slowed the opposition down; the veteran front-rower has taken the same poise to announce his departure and retirement from rugby.
Alex Mubiru walks away from rugby as arguably the best hooker in the country, and his name is undoubtedly etched high among the greatest-ever Ugandan rugby players.
The announcement comes barely a month after helping guide the Heathens to a record 12th Uganda Cup crown and his eighth winner’s medal.
Always strapped – one of the many ways to describe and identify Alex Mubiru. This has nothing to do with the Birdman record from 2009. Mubiru was already in his 7th year by the time.
Be it for the Heathens or the Rugby Cranes; you would not fail to identify him. Standing at a paltry 5’6 ft, Mubiru always carried head gear, extra tape for his fingers and rugby socks up to the knee.
Looking back, we now understand the significance of the extra tape – the perfect throws. No one throws them like Mubiru.
Alex Mubiru, or Musava, as he’s commonly referred to in rugby circles, is an honorary member of the prestigious Class of 2007 that conquered the continent and lifted the CAR title.
That is on top of his 8 Uganda Cup titles, 3 Elgon Cup titles, 6 National 7s titles, 12 Premiership titles, and he’s a 4-time Makerere 10s Champion.
Winning has been a constant through out for Musava. He started playing rugby, alongside now Heathens Strength and Conditioning coach Allan Otim, as a young boy at Kyambogo.
As fate would have it, his first competitive game was a loss against the Heathens in the Uganda Cup. However, he loved what he saw with the Heathens and worked his way until he joined the team in 2003.
He made his international 7s debut at the Dubai 7s in 2004 and his 15s debut the year after.
He has since accrued 52 caps for the national side. He marked his 50th cap with a try (Uganda’s third on the day) in a 78-17 rout of Tunisia in Kampala in 2017. He retired from international rugby later that year.
In 2010, Mubiru was appointed Heathens captain to replace the then-retiring Brian Tabaruka. Mubiru was a vital cog in the Heathens team that swept 2009 – winning all five rugby season trophies that year, including the Super 8, Uganda Cup, Hima Makerere 10s, Sevens Circuit, and the Super Cup.
Mubiru will always be remembered for bringing everyone together and insisting on teamwork to achieve maximum results.
“The team comes first. I want you to get me clear on this. We are 23 players on a match day. So you cannot start glorifying yourself at the expense of the other 22,” said Mubiru to the Daily Monitor in an interview in 2017.
Mubiru credits his growth and ascension to the top to knowledge obtained from Fred Mudoola and Brian Makalama (front-rowers of the class of 2007), who mentored him when he was still a young rattler.
Mubiru is also vocal about another mentor, South African Mahlatse ‘Chiliboy’ Ralepelle, who he met in 2007 in Pretoria while getting ready for the Africa Cup.
Alex Mubiru always gave his best, and when the team needed him, he was there to ignite his famous “kamotoka” runs down the wing.
Enjoy your retirement, Musava, Teri musota muto!
Courtesy Photos
