Stanbic Black Pirates player and national rugby sevens captain Alex Aturinda has opened up about his remarkable journey into the sport, one that began unexpectedly in secondary school and has taken him to the very top of Ugandan rugby.
Aturinda, speaking to NBS Sport, revealed that he initially started out as a footballer, representing Ntare School in post-primary competitions between 2013 and 2014.
His introduction to rugby came courtesy of then-house captain Ernest Akorebirungi, who convinced him to participate in inter-house sevens tournaments.
“He just told me, ‘get the ball and run until you reach the try line’,” Aturinda recalled.
“Back then, we didn’t play rugby because we were good. It was about scoring points for our house in all kinds of sports. I didn’t even know if it was safe for someone to bump into you and throw you to the ground.”
After a brief flirtation with the sport, Aturinda stepped away, until 2015, when he joined Mbarara High School.
There, he shared a room with Andrew Bamwesigye, also known as Bombaz, who was then captain of the school rugby team. It was Bombaz who reignited Aturinda’s rugby journey.
“Being in the same room, he made sure not to leave me behind,” said Aturinda. “He kept convincing me and, like they say, rugby is that toxic partner who gets you hooked the first time.”
That year, Aturinda helped Mbarara High beat his former school, Ntare, for the first time in what he believes may have been a historic win.
He also won a silver medal in the East African Schools Sevens, hosted in Gulu, a proud moment that saw him recognised at a school assembly.
Though he took a break from rugby in 2016, Aturinda resumed playing in 2017 when he joined Uganda Christian University (UCU).
While initially focused on football, it was again a teammate, Paul Kalunji, now of Rhinos RFC, who pushed him back towards rugby.
“Kalunji kept on my case. He motivated me every day and got me into a routine,” Aturinda said. “Before training, we’d do a personal warm-up, sometimes a 2km run. It became part of me.”
He played for the UCU Shepherds in 2017 and then moved to Walukuba RFC, helping the side reach the Uganda Cup Shield final against Rams at Kyadondo. Despite a tough season that ended in relegation, Aturinda knew he belonged in the top tier.
“I had a discussion with Coach Leo at Walukuba and told him I wanted to join the Black Pirates. It wasn’t easy, but he gave me his blessing.”
Aturinda eventually joined the Pirates in the 2017/2018 season, cementing his place in top-flight rugby and rising through the ranks to captain the national sevens team.
His journey, marked by injuries, career switches, and constant persuasion, has been anything but straightforward, but Aturinda now stands as one of Uganda’s premier rugby talents, a symbol of resilience and adaptability.
