- Heathens 8-19 Pirates
The Black Pirates have completed a season double by winning the Uganda Cup. The National 15s league champions added more silverware to their trophy cabinet by dispatching a Heathens side that needs a revamp.
The first 20 minutes of the game went like a typical final should. A 50/50 contest between two sides who have maximum respect for each other, only separated by 2 points, thanks to a Norbert Okeny try and a William Nkore penalty.
After the water break, the tides swayed in Pirates’ favour as they sailed to a 10-05 lead at halftime. The Pirates’ continuous probing was simply not matched by the Heathens, who couldn’t get anything going in the first half.
Haruna Muhammad was the main threat to the Heathens, creating chances that went begging. Just before the Pirates’ first try, he broke the line and ran down the right flank, bumping off Nicholas Kato in the process. He then offloaded to Roy Kizito, who was tackled in the Heathens’ red zone. A few plays later, Isaac Massa was going over for the try, which was easily converted by William Nkore.
Despite having a below-par game, the Heathens fought back in the second half but their hopes were further dashed by a William Nkore penalty. The yellow machine stepped up its game with the introduction of Marvin Asaba, who put his forwards to work by stringing phases together. The Heathens then camped in the Pirates’ five-meter zone for over 5 minutes, using pick and drives to no effect, only leaving with a yellow card to Haruna Muhammad.
This unsuccessful attempt at getting a try only highlighted the bigger problem with Heathens on the day. Their forwards simply did not show up, struggling in the scrum and only making up for it at the lineout. Eventually, Asaba who had blown new breath into the Heathens’ attack, scored a penalty to put the Kyadondo boys within touching distance of the Pirates, with the score at 13-08.
In a man-of-the-match performance, Nkore added two penalties to seal the victory for the Pirates.
The Pirates now finish the 2025 rugby season with a double, winning the National 15s league and adding a Uganda Cup, to sandwich a lacklustre National 7s campaign.