Sunday evening was the crowning of a dark season for the Impis who saw their five-year top-flight status ended by new boys Kampani’s Eagles.
The Eagles were 36-23 winners away to the Impis at the Makerere Graveyard, and 49-36 aggregate winners, owing to the 13-all draw in the first leg. Impis joined their tenants, Lifeguard Rams, who on Saturday lost to Warriors in the other relegation playoff, to confirm relegation.
The Warriors and Kampani’s Eagles were the new boys of the soon-ending championship. The Impis, this season, were a shadow of their former selves only managing one win (on opening weekend against the Rams) and dancing with relegation for the greater part of the season. The Rams were no better, only managing to win on the last weekend of the regular season, ironically, against the Warriors.
The Impis have had a waltz with relegation on numerous occasions in the last decade and have each time needed a sturdy chairperson and coach to get them out of the torturous central league.
Doubts over Coach Ssebuliba Syrus’s credentials and ability have been called into scrutiny for the greater part of the season.
The Lifeguard Rams reveled a lot in their Uganda Cup success (first runner-up) on the back of impressive victories against the Impis, Barbarians, and Mongers on the road to the finale.
That was the last we saw of rugby from the side. They sat at the bottom of the championship log for the longest before their last-minute jump on the final day.
Victoria Sharks (Central), Elgon Wolves (Eastern), Gulu City Falcons (Northern), and Kigezi Silverbacks (Western) are currently playing a round-robin promotional playoffs and the top two teams after week three will be promoted to the 2025 championship. Week three of these games is this weekend.
Courtesy Photos
