The last time the Heathens won a 15s game of rugby was on March 14 against the Victoria Sharks, which is more than a month ago.

During that stretch, the Heathens have lost to the Buffaloes, Kabras Sugar RFC in the Enterprise Cup, and the KOBs just before the league break.

The three losses are uncharacteristic of the most decorated club in Ugandan rugby, and point to a crisis that is yet to be addressed by coach Tolbert Onyango and his charges.

On the other hand, the Rhinos have only managed one win in seven games so far this season, as they’ve struggled to find suitable replacements for players like Allan Olango and Davis Shimwa, who they lost during the transfer market.

The poor run of games should be a cause for concern for coach Martial Tchumkam, who has to either dig his side out of the relegation playoff spots or brace them for a gruelling relegation playoff battle if things do not change.

However, this is likely not to be the weekend when the Rhinos pick up another win. They go away to Kyadondo Rugby Club, a place where the Heathens famously sunk the Pirate ship this season. This home advantage is important for the Heathens, who will look to start their winning streak to book a top 4 spot on the table, likely dislodging a Mongers side they have yet to play this season.

The Heathens squad is almost fully fit and available. They have struggled a bit with the front row of Santos Senteza, Jude Jjuuko and Sylvester Munguacel playing consistently together. However, the biggest threat from the Heathens shall be in their backline, which is fully stacked with players like Aaron Ofoyrwoth and Nobert Okeny ready to go as soon as they are called upon, while players like Innocent Thomas Gwokto and Matthew Musasizi are still waiting on the sidelines.

There is a glimmer of hope for the Rhinos for the rest of their season. After the Heathens game, they have the Kakira Simbas, Warriors and Hippos as their remaining opponents, all members of the bottom 4 and relegation candidates, as it stands.  

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The women’s four consecutive time defending champions, the Black Pearls, have officially pulled out of the league.

Since the turn of the decade, the Black Pearls have won the women’s league but won’t be able to carry on and defend it in 2026, citing financial constraints. The Pearls failed to honour their home fixture against the Nile Rapids at Kings Park Arena last Saturday, communicating that their title defence had come to an abrupt end.

A statement released from the Uganda Rugby Union this Monday evening acknowledges the withdrawal of the Pearls from the league, and indicates that URU is well aware of the challenges the women’s clubs go through to not only put Squads together, but also present them for game days.

In a meeting attended by URU officials and representatives from the Black Pearls held on Monday afternoon, it was clear that the Pearls would not go back on their decision to exit the league. This leaves the league with 6 women’s sides, with the Thunderbirds, Avengers and Nile Rapids as frontrunners for the now vacant title.

According to URU, the Black Pearls are welcome to rejoin the league next season, given that there won’t be a promotion or relegation this year.

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A sluggish start to the Enterprise Cup semifinal fixture between Black Pirates and Nondescripts played in Uganda turned out to be a nail-bitter in the dying minutes of the game.

The Pirates were in charge of the affairs early on, retaining possession soon after kick off through Alex Aturinda, then getting a penalty advantage. William Nkore’s drop goal attempt was unsuccessful, but it was his penalty kick that gave the Pirates the lead in the beginning Stanzas of the game.

Even with the lead, the Pirates were still unsettled, which led to various mistakes in their half. The Nondies pulled back 3 points through Kelvin Sheunda to level the score before the water break, but after that, those mistakes came back to haunt them again. Timothy Kisiga’s efforts to skip through the oncoming Nondies were not enough as he offloaded off to Conrad Wanyama, whose exit kick was charged down, leading to a Tony Fidens try, and a Sheunda conversion.

The Pirates were determined to close the gap soon after conceding, pressing the Nondies in their 22. This paid off when they quick started on a penalty through Wanyama, and then some quick hands from the Pirates backline that saw them use the full width of the pitch via Timothy Kisiga and Davis Shimwa then ultimately to Jeremiah Okello who scored in the corner.

In the second half, the Pirates recovered from a Nkore touch finder that went dead, when Roy Kizito collected and shipped the ball off to Kisiga. Another crucial phase from Kizito saw rhe Pirates push forward, and that gave Aturinda the opportunity to push forward and work his magic for the first try of the half. 

With a slim 5 point lead, the Pirates were not yet safe so their second try came as a relief. On scrum penalty advantage, Aturinda pick the ball up and passed to Wanyama who went all the way to the try line. Again, Nkore couldn’t convert from the tee.

At that point, the Pirates started hanging on for dear life, and they did such a good job at it, that they only conceded one converted try to bring the score to 20-17. Elisha Koronya’s try and Fidens’ conversion were not enough to upstage a Pirates side that’s determined to win the Enterprise Cup.

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