We have seen this retirement announcement from super captain Michael Wokorach before, but why do we believe him this time?
The name Wokorach has become synonymous with rugby excellence in Uganda, and as a young Gift Wokorach breaks onto the senior national scene, the curtains have closed on his more experienced namesake, Michael.
Wokorach, also known as Gonya when he is bumping off and sitting opponents, or simply Wokos during a casual chat with him off the pitch, has been a stalwart of the game and still is a darling to many to this day. As a hot high school prospect from St. Lawrence, he started his club career with a short stay at Buffaloes Rugby Club in 2006, before moving on to the Heathens a year later.
At Heathens, Wokorach got off to a rough start when he was played at fullback against an unforgiving Mongers side in Entebbe in 2008. After that shaky start, he was then deployed in the midfield and he never looked back. Only a year later, he was making his debut for the National 7s and 15s teams, only aged 19 at the time. Wokorach’s star only continued to rise in 2010 when he was selected to represent Uganda at the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, India, alongside legends of the game like Benon Kizza and Lawrence Wakabi. This was his first major tournament with the squad, and he went on to appear at 4 Commonwealth Games.
Wokorach’s leadership is something the game is going to miss the most. He started out in the shadow of Mathias Ochwo at club and country as a vice captain, before he was elevated to full captain.
During an interview with Kawowo Sports, Wokorach noted, “I have been a captain, I think, for all of my playing career in rugby. From captaining the 7s, to being captain of the 15s, to captaining Heathens.”
During his stay with the national teams, he has won the coveted Elgon Cup twice, in addition to returning to the 15s national team after a short sabbatical to win the Victoria Cup in 2023. However, it is with the National 7s team where he has enjoyed the most success as a player and a member of the team. Three Rugby Africa 7s cups and two World Cup appearances later, Wokorach felt like he still had something to offer the National 7s team, but he was never to make another tournament team Uganda squad.
Although not winning any major trophies in his last season with the Heathens in 2025, the pinnacle of his legacy is clearly evident through that treble-winning 2023/2024 season. Wokorach now steps away from active rugby to focus on the other priorities in his life, as he continues to enjoy the beautiful sport from a distance.