Walukuba Barbarians became only the sixth club in Uganda rugby history to claim the National 7s title.
The Barbarians joined Buffaloes and Impis, who have each won the 7s title once in 2014 and 2010 respectively, and Heathens, KOBs and Black Pirates who have won it multiple times.
Before the 2025 National 7s series, the Walukuba Barbarians had last won a 7s circuit at the 2023 Mileke Border 7s and made it to two finals in the 2024 series, a feat they hoped to better in 2025.
To achieve this, Coach Leonard Lubambula says that as a set-up, the Barbarians agreed to set up a high-performance environment where they broke down roles for their athletes and the management as well
“We’ve had quality training but also individual and skills extra training for the athletes. We had a very good 8 weeks of strength and conditioning before the series started,” noted Coach Lubambula.
Before and during the National 7s series, the Walukuba Barbarians carried out performance tests in order to maintain momentum and keep the players on the same fitness and skill level.
After winning the Coronation 7s, the Barbarians finished as runners-up at the Gulu 7s, then finished fourth at the Entebbe 7s, in a performance where fatigue was glaringly evident in the Jinja boys.
“We had recovery protocols that we did, while keeping in mind that strength and conditioning is about 50% of the game itself. It is evident that we only had one player who got injured, Isa Luqman, the rest of the players were good to go for each circuit,” Coach Lubambula re-emphasised the point he made when he talked to us after the Entebbe 7s.
Tactically, Coach Lubambula says that they set the goal of being the most defensive team in the series, and offensively, he believes that his team finished in the top 3 of the series.
“These are the targets we have had even in the previous series, but we were always cut short by experience,” he added.
Most importantly, the Barbarians have managed to keep their squad together. From the qualifying to finishing 10th in the series, those very players have stayed and developed together as a unit.
“We have given much emphasis on long-term athlete development, where we develop athletes to compete and teach them how to finish on the podium. In the previous three National 7s seasons, we were training to compete and understand how to compete against the big teams. This year, it was a totally different ball game; we trained to win and finish on the podium,” remarked Coach Lumbabula.
The Barbarians etched their names in the history of Uganda rugby and ultimately put a mark on their backs. They are no longer young; they are not the underdogs; they are grown, they are the champions.