At the conclusion of the first round of the Nile Special women’s championship, holders Black Pearls remain the only unbeaten side, winning all six games with bonus points and accumulating a tally of 30 points to claim the top spot on the leaderboard.
The Helen Buteme-coached side also boasts the league’s top points and try scorer in winger Emily Lekuru, who has scored 37 tries, 10 more than teammate Mary Nakato, and garnered 185 points to lead the charts.
Despite the absence of Rachael Mufuwa, Grace Auma, Lydia Namabiro, and Ritah Nadunga, who are away on national team duty, the back-to-back women’s league winners are a force to reckon with this season.
Lekuru attributes the loss against Nile Rapids in the Uganda Cup earlier this year as a turning point for the side, stating, “The Uganda Cup loss helped us to see our weaknesses without our sevens national team players, and we have now adjusted to playing without them. The inexperienced girls are improving and stepping up in every game.”
The speedster believes the team’s first-round performance has created momentum for the side to build on going into the second round this weekend. “We expect to continue with the same spirit in the second round. I know many teams will be looking out for us, but we are coming back stronger as well.”
Regarding her impressive form, Lekuru attributes it to teamwork. “Usually, my teammates supply the ball to me so that I can get to the try line, and they always expect me to deliver since they have played their part. My focus is to help the team win the title.”
The Black Pearls will be away to Avengers in Entebbe this weekend to kickstart the second round in the battle for the top four playoff slots across the seven-team women’s championship.
