For many rugby fans, male and female, in the rugby fraternity of Uganda, all the focus going into the 2025 Uganda Cup semifinals this Saturday is on the men’s competition. Stanbic Black Pirates vs KCB KOBs at Kings Park and Platinum Credit Heathens vs Toyota Buffaloes at Kyadondo.
And this is no accusation or finger-pointing. The reality of the space in which we exist is that men’s rugby is the only rugby most fans watch and, dare I say, enjoy.
But before those two to-be-honest mouthwatering clashes kick off at 4 p.m. at Kings Park and Kyadondo, two exciting matches in the women’s competition will have just been concluded.
At Kings Park, Panthers will face She Wolves while Avengers will take on Nile Rapids at Kyadondo. Both matches will kick off at 2 p.m.
Make no mistake! These are not curtain-raisers for the evening matches. They are fully competitive semifinals in a competition
This is a call for us all to be at the rugby clubs – Kings Park and Kyadondo – as early as possible on Saturday afternoon. So that we can watch and support the girls and women play some top-tier rugby.
Just like we have embraced the Lady Rugby Cranes when on continental (Rugby Africa) and international (World Rugby) assignments in the recent past, I urge us to do the same for our local women’s rugby clubs.
If that’s not enough motivation, here are two more reasons why you should:
First, Avengers vs Nile Rapids is a repeat of the last (2023) Uganda Cup final at Kings Park. Nile Rapids stunned the then-defending champions, Avengers, to win the title, which has been in their custody for two years now. The former wish to extend their run by an extra year while the latter want to reclaim the trophy.
Secondly, for Panthers and Ewes, which are relatively young rugby clubs, the contest is for who will be the first to reach a major final (and, if Lady Luck smiles on them, win it). They were the top two in the Central Region 7s Championship and now stand in each other’s way in the Uganda Cup.
For those unable to make it to the venues in time, NBS Sport has got you covered. We shall broadcast all the action live on AfroMobile.
