Cheers, hugs and ululations filled the Namboole shiny sky as the Nile Rapids players celebrated winning the Uganda Cup for the second consecutive year.
The Rapids came into the final as favourites, not just because they were defending champions, but also because they are growing into a formidable 15s side.
Both the Rapids and She Wolves have been known to light up the National 7s stage, but it’s in the Uganda Cup where they have peaked in the 15s.
Captain Tina Akello was aware of the similarities between the two clubs. “The game seemed easy but very hard in actual sense. Based on the fact that the Shewolves play little more like us, they aren’t that physical but very lethal wth ball movement.”
Before the final, the She Wolves got a boost in the form of the return of 5 of their key players. This was a signal to the Rapids to seal the game early in order to manage the fitter She Wolves in the second half.
“We started with a lot of energy. Our structure was good, and we were disciplined in both attack and defense. We controlled possession for a longer time and created good momentum but our finishing was an issue.
“Even when the opposition pushed back, we stayed organised and defended well. Overall, the first half was about setting the tempo and showing that we were here to compete.”
Unfortunately for the Rapids, that discipline flew out the window in the second half. Pauline Bakabwire was the first guest in the sin bin and this proved costly to the Rapids. Habiba Namalembe then punished the 14-woman Rapids team through an unconverted try.
The Rapids fought back and extended their lead through a Shaine Babirye try, but the poor discipline came back to bite. In total, they received 5 yellow cards, much to the dismay of their captain.
“I was honestly surprised by our discipline; it wasn’t pleasing. For the times we have played, we have always known that the Rapids are a very disciplined bunch of players on the pitch,” noted Akello.
With a firm 22-13 lead, the poor discipline reached its pinnacle when the rapids conceded a penalty at the tail end of the second half.
“After the Shewolves got a penalty try, we were left with 3 minutes to end the game. I just had to tell my girls to calm down, no room for errors and they honestly did so. We defended it again,” remarked Akello with pride.
Despite the administrative challenges the club has gone through this year, the players have given rugby their all, overcoming a false start in the National 7s to win a couple of circuits and now, winning a major trophy, the Uganda Cup.