The Nile Rapids officially announced their resurgence at the Entebbe 7s, going unbeaten on the two days of play, serving a game of the day performance against fellow Jinja side, the Walukuba Titans, and foreshadowing the final’s result by edging the Avengers 20-17 in the group stages, then coming from behind against the same team to win 10 to 05 in sudden death extra time.
From being a side that was the next best thing, behind the Avengers, Thunderbirds and the Black Pearls, to now winning titles, the Nile Rapids seem to have got their groove back after missing out on the Coronation 7s, and fielding an unrecognisable side at the Gulu 7s.
The Entebbe 7s victory not only sounded the alarm bells for the traditional big 3, but was also a sign of a team that is deliberate in what they do.
“The victory for the Nile Rapids was anticipated from our end. Some of those girls had just returned from the East African Schools Games, where they won. They returned and still played as a unit, which was a bonus for them,” noted Joshua Wakabi, the president of the umbrella Hippos Rugby Club that oversees the Jinja Hippos RFC and the Nile Rapids RFC.
As the previous winners of the rugby Uganda Cup, defeating the Black Pearls and beating the Avengers in the final of 2024, the Nile Rapids are now comfortable playing against the traditional sides, a factor that has instilled confidence in them and their management.
“It is always a good feeling to win and it was a good feeling to come back. For the Nile Rapids now, the goal is simple: to win every other circuit and become National 7s Champions,” remarked Wakabi.
What next for the Hippos?
With the return of some of the core players, the Hippos managed a series-best 9th-place finish at the Entebbe 7s, a small win that was welcomed by club chairman Wakabi.
“Being out for the first two circuits, it was a test for the core of the Hippos, but the coaches were happy because some of the boys got some playing time,” he noted.
“For the remainder of the National 7s Series, the target is to win. We are not used to being a club that finishes way below the top. As former 7s Champions, our target is to always finish, at the bare minimum, in the semifinals, and that is what we are aiming for, and maybe win 1 or 2 circuits as the boys come back and gel,” Wakabi added.
Interestingly, the two Hippos factions reached a compromise that provides for the Hippos as we have known them, and the new additions, to play alongside each other, with a guarantee of four slots each, per faction, for any given 7s circuit.
The Nile Rapids are in Pool A alongside Thunderbirds, Black Pearls and Panthers, while the Hippos shall tussle it out with Buffaloes, Mongers and Rams 2 in Pool B.