The National 7s calendar made her third stop in Bweyogerere this past weekend for the first central edition, the Henry Rujumba Memorial 7s alias Rujumba 7s.
The week leading to the games was nothing short of glamour and promises of an exquisite experience at the Rujumba 7s fete.
At the end of the two-day campaign, Heathens and Black Pearls were the best teams scoping the men’s and women’s trophies respectively.
The Good
If there is one thing the Kings Park Arena has assured Ugandan revellers of, it is the party festival that comes with rugby in Bweyogerere.
It is a combination of everything excellent that comes together to give you a complete Ugandan rugby extravaganza.
The coolers were filled early, the stoves were burning hot as soon as the Jinja Hippos from the East woke up, the ceremonial rugby shorts even grew shorter, and the rugby was topsy-turvy – the Hippos and Pirates tell the tales best.
Speaking tales of the best, defending champions Black Pearls, as Redsan sang, are badder than most.
The Kings Park ladies’ team had a minor glitch in the opening weekend in Jinja but have since stabilised at sea and are in cruise control.
Smooth seas never made any skilled sailor, and it is obvious Helen Koyokoyo Buteme and her fleet of fancy motorcade shifted gears after Stone City 7s.
The frontline jamming marine Battalion from the swamp was the happiest looters from the weekend.
For the first time since Arua in 2022, the Platinum Credit Heathens were circuit winners on the national 7s calendars.
The Heathens have had to deal with ridicule from all corners of the nation, with most referring to them as old and washed.
Still, they managed to outlast the KOBs in the finale and win sans the services of veteran Micheal Wokorach and the best passer in the country, Aaron Ofoywroth.
With four editions to go, the title race is still on, and the Heathens now know they’ll be in everyone’s crosshairs in the land of Empaako.
Plascon Mongers, welcome back. The Mongers we were used to seeing, stepping up the big boys and taking their lunch money, showed up last weekend.
The Twaake moment, a win on Day 2 against defending champions, Hippos was as gargantuan as they come.
The Toyota Buffaloes may not have won the Rujumba 7s as they did in 2018, but they did leave Bweyogerere with two elite scalps.
On Day 1, they showed all and sundry how to suffocate the Stanbic Black Pirates. On Day 2, they ran over the reigning champions, Jinja Hippos, in the placement playoffs.
We are grateful to the Jinja Hippos for not really showing up on the pitch. This pushed their fans to show up in the stands and literally take charge of the fete.
The Loose Chargers
Someone has passed by the DJ’s booth and intentionally knocked over the Stanbic Black Pirates charger.
The phone is no longer in charge. It is starting to look loose. Going into their home circuit, the Pirates were poised to make it all the way to the final.
But the Blue Army, as they have on many other occasions at Kings Park Arena, stood in their path and denied them that chance.
With the National 7s team’s ejections coming to bite soon, the immaculate start may be hitting bumps sooner rather than later.
The Jinja Hippos ought to go back to Jinja. The online community is moving mad and gaining traction while the lads on the pitch are making them eat their words.
Having a solid social media strategy and a lacklustre rugby experience is not a great combination. As defending champions, they owe us that much.
The Sour Grapes
For the sake of banter, we shall have sour grapes section to summarize all the touchline stray bullets.
The Jinja Hippos fans take the day. While they were getting ready to play and banter with Heathens at some point over the weekend, the players didn’t have the legs to carry them that far.
At this turn, they nicknamed Kato Nicholas (Platinum Credit Heathens) Champion Ogudo. We shall not lie; we can also see the resemblance, but ehhhh!!
In came Conrad Wanyama, who also got baptised Champion Ogudo by the unforgiving Hippos family. This is only for the ones we dare to write.
The Pirates family, and by extension, all rugby revellers, came down hard on the Jinja Hippos for the lackadaisical efforts in getting a fitting trophy for the Stone City 7s.
Fast forward to the Rujumba 7s, and the winners walked away with MDD trophies from the local sports shop at the Bweyogerere – Namboole junction.
Courtesy Photos
