Uganda Rugby Union’s Godwin Kayangwe fulfilled one of the top selling points of his manifesto for the presidency when he embarked on a nationwide tour to distribute rugby balls.
Under his Presidential Initiative Campaign of 2024 in which he aims to continue spreading the game outside its traditional Kampala City boundaries, Kayangwe visited and oversaw the delivery of rugby balls to the Western, Northern, and Eastern regions during a week-long tour in February.
Each region received 150 rugby balls that were and will be further distributed to schools, age-grade and rugby development centers, and rugby clubs based therein.
The tour was carried out successfully in partnership with World Rugby, balls manufacturer Gilbert Rugby, car manufacturer Land Rover, content creator The Rugby Agency, and URU sponsor Nile Special.
Gilbert Rugby pledged in 2023 to donate 1000 rugby balls per year for four years to URU for this initiative. The year before that, rugby’s long term sponsor Nile Special signed a four-year deal with Uganda Rugby Union worth UGX 9.8 billion. Land Rover have been an integral part of the initiative to distribute rugby equipment around the country since 2020.
Upcountry bases have been a source of rugby talent that has taken the country by storm from time immemorial.
