The Central Rugby Championship may have concluded, but the real story is one of sacrifice, oversight and the struggle behind the scenes and is only beginning to unfold.
While the final whistle signalled the end of a tightly contested tournament, it also echoed a deeper crisis, a striking imbalance in how the Uganda Rugby Union (URU) allocates support across the country.
This year’s Central Championship was ambitiously crafted, spanning six legs with clubs rotating between hosting and travelling.
The venues told the story of a region deeply invested in the game; University of Kisubi, Makerere, Gayaza, Mukono and Entebbe all opened their fields. But each leg revealed more than just athletic competition, it exposed systemic cracks.
In Entebbe, only one game was played. Kyambogo Rugby Club, unable to meet travel expenses, forfeited, costing Rams valuable points.
No reimbursement came and no sympathy followed. Then came the collapse of the Kyambogo leg itself, sabotaged by internal wrangles between the club and the university’s sports body. Makerere had to step in to save the day.
Yet these missteps weren’t just organizational hiccups. They reflected a more troubling truth buried in URU’s own figures.
A funding map that favours few
Here’s the breakdown of URU’s regional allocations as per list released by 2bob sports
- Northern Region: UGX 24,495,000
- Western Region: UGX 6,279,000
- Eastern Region: UGX 2,745,000
- Central Region: UGX 2,362,500
- Officials & Referees: UGX 14,118,500
In the centre of it all, geographically, structurally and competitively, the Central Region, home to the bulk of Uganda’s rugby teams and the entire championship itself, received the lowest allocation.
Less than Eastern, less than the referees. Less than what many clubs spend on a single training session.
URU’s defense? The Northern region needed more due to distance and high walkover risks.
But here’s the reality: with fuel at UGX 4,700 per litre and transport reimbursements capped at UGX 3,500 per kilometer, even short trips left Central clubs in a financial chokehold, players and clubs were asked to do more with much less.
Holding the championship together with grit, not gold
Amid the scarcity, it was the Central Uganda Rugby Association (CURA) that kept the wheels turning. Operating without a commercial office or formal fundraising structure, CURA leaned on volunteers and goodwill to run the show.
Matches went on despite missing essentials, no medical personnel from URU, no emergency ambulance and at times, no hydration for officials unless the host clubs stepped in.
When Kisubi Pacers RFC was disqualified, CURA provided no public explanation. When schedules fell apart, they were patched with urgency, not resources.
Yet through rain and roadblocks, the tournament survived from its start in Kisubi to the wet semifinals at Kyadondo on April 5th, all the way to the April 13th finale where Impis edged out Rams.
This wasn’t an organized success, it was a survival story.
Beyond CURA: The real problem lies above
This article is not an indictment of CURA. If anything, it’s a recognition of their resilience. But it’s also a mirror held up to URU, a reflection of how the union’s top-heavy model continues to abandon the grassroots.
While university-backed teams like Kisubi thrived under institutional support, others like Kyambogo were left to navigate hostile internal politics and financial despair.
What’s Next?
Looking ahead, there’s reason for cautious optimism. New teams like Seeta Rugby Club, a Mukono Hawks feeder side have expressed interest in joining CURA.
Kyambogo wants back in and with the possibility of a Premier League team dropping down, the competition could intensify.
But without meaningful reform, these are merely new players in the same broken system.
Ugandan rugby’s future doesn’t lie in elite fixtures or polished stadiums. It lies in the sweat-stained kits of underfunded clubs, the volunteers who carry water and whistle alike, and the young players hoping someone, somewhere, will believe in their dreams.
If URU fails to re-center its priorities, if it doesn’t direct funding, support and leadership to the regions that carry the sport’s future, the growth of rugby in Uganda will remain stunted at the roots.
Because the true spirit of rugby isn’t built in boardrooms. It’s built in places like Mukono, Gayaza and Kyambogo on fields patched by commitment, lined by passion and played not for glory, but for love of the game.
