Heathens Rugby Club captain Paul Epilo is set to complete a shock transfer to Jinja Hippos, pending official release.
Reports indicate that Epilo has already shifted base from Kampala to the Eastern city of Jinja across the Nile river. He was spotted in the company of Jinja Hippos players at the recently-concluded regional Return-to-Play sevens tournament where Hippos’ development side Crocs featured.
Exact details on the transfer could not be obtained but an official communication is expected to be made soon. More details of the transfer, including the contract duration and other terms, will be revealed then.
Epilo matured from an off-the-bench player to a leader at the 15-time record championship-winning club within a short time. During the recently-concluded 2021 Nile Special Stout Rugby Premier League, he led Heathens in the absence of Michael Wokorach who was unavailable for significant periods due to commitments with the Uganda Men’s Sevens national team.
Looking back at how Heathens lined up last season, the void left behind by Epilo will be covered by youngster Nicholas Kato and the experienced Faisal Gamma.
He crosses to a club that is in need of experience and leadership on the pitch. The halfback will not only boost Hippos at scrumhalf with Azizi Bagalana and Meddy Mapeesa but also in the absence of captain Maxwell Ebonga who suffered a knee injury in pre-season training.