The Uganda Rugby Union awards night continues for the second year running, and if last year’s categories were competitive, 2023’s are even more nail-biting.
see who won in 2022
Each of the nominees in each of the categories has a legitimate claim to the awards which will be presented on Saturday night at the Kampala Serena Hotel.
In this article, I briefly make the case for some of the nominees. To avoid conflict of interest and being “side-eyed” by my colleagues in the media, I will stick to those whose efforts I’ve been observing this year.
Referee of the Year:
- Gonzaga Mayanja
- Ronald Wutimber
- Umar Balikkanda
Despite being on the sidelines due to a nagging injury, Mayanja has maintained the bar he set from about two years ago. Wutimber was the surprise winner last year and he returns to the list having had a colourful international season. Balikkanda managed most of the most competitive matches this year which earned him some external assignments across borders.
International Coach of the Year:
- Fred Mudoola (Uganda Rugby Cranes)
- Charles Onen (Uganda Women’s 7s)
- Tolbert Onyango (Uganda Men’s 7s)
Mudoola managed Uganda Rugby Cranes to their first Victoria Cup and won the two-test tour of Tunisia, all within a month. Onen and Onyango both won bronze in the Rugby Africa Women’s and Men’s 7s in October and September respectively. But while Onyango got another bronze at Safari 7s (Uganda’s first) in November, Onen brought the gold home.
Domestic Coach of the Year:
- Marvin Odongo (Black Pirates)
- Leonard Lubambula (Walukuba Barbarians)
- Helen Koyokoyo Buteme (Black Pearls)
Odongo narrowly lost the 2022 Uganda Cup final in Entebbe before clinching a season double with Stanbic Black Pirates in the men’s competition. Walukuba’s Lubambula consistently punched way above their weight and were rewarded with the men’s Tororo 7s Cup. With the Black Pearls, Buteme won every tournament her team entered. That’s a clean sweep for the third successive season.
Upcoming Men’s Player of the Year:
- Shakim Ssembusi (Walukuba + Uganda Rugby Cranes)
- Roy Kizito (Impis + Uganda Men’s 7s)
- Gift Wokorach (Walukuba + Uganda Men’s U20)
Ssembusi and Wokorach were two of Walukuba’s key players in one of their most successful top-flight seasons. Ssembusi grabbed the Rugby Cranes number fourteen jersey and owned it. For Wokorach, it’s in the name. His composure and creativity helped Uganda avoid relegation from the Rugby Africa U20 Barthes Cup. Kizito’s season was affected by injury but when he was fully fit, he showed the world what he was made of. All he needed was one weekend at the Safari 7s.
Upcoming Women’s Player of the Year:
- Aminah Nalujja (Avengers)
- Grace Nabaggala (Kisubi Lady Pacers + Uganda Women’s 7s)
- Hellen Acanit (Black Pearls + Lady Rugby Cranes)
Nalujja is the most unsung of the nominees in this category. Her XVs season put her on the frontline for Avengers to push champions Black Pearls to the limit in the 7s series. And she made a good account of herself. Nabaggala burst onto the scene in the Central Region 7s, winning all MVP awards and earning herself a starting place on the Uganda Women’s 7s. The high-towering Acanit was thrown in the deep end as her team struggled with injuries. She switched effortlessly between the front and second rows and got the nod for the Lady Rugby Cranes.
Women’s Most Valuable Player of the Year:
- Emilly Lekuru (Black Pearls + Lady Rugby Cranes)
- Asha Nakityo (Thunderbirds + Lady Rugby Cranes)
- Peace Lekuru (Uganda Women’s 7s)
Emilly Lekuru showed, yet again, why she is Uganda’s greatest finisher of all time when she became top try scorer in both the XVs league and the 7s series. For Nakityo, now the most capped Lady Rugby Cranes player, it is not about the accolades. Rather, it is her ability to still compete and deliver at the top level after thirteen years. Peace Lekuru won the Uganda Cup last year but sat out the remainder of the season. She flew high with the Uganda Women’s 7s, collecting the top try scorer’s award at the Safari 7s last month.
Men’s Most Valuable Player of the Year:
- Sydney Gongodyo (Black Pirates + Uganda Rugby Cranes)
- Timothy Kisiga (Black Pirates + Uganda Rugby Cranes)
- Pius Ogena (KOBs + Uganda Men’s 7s)
Gongodyo was simply unplayable this year. He paddled hard when Black Pirates were in rough waters and came out dry. Kisiga, on the other hand, made rugby look easy when he played it. Being outside the Uganda Men’s 7s training squad meant that he was available to make his long-awaited test debut and he provided that much-needed stability for Uganda in the back field. Ogena equalled a long-standing record when he scored twenty-two tries in eighteen matches during the XVs league. He was in such fine form that he got a call back into the 7s squad.
The awards night ceremony will be broadcast live on Uganda Rugby Union’s digital platforms.
