Victoria Sharks have struggled to pick up pace in the league after a busy transfer window, but going away to the Warriors could be the turn of their fortunes.
The Sharks have played three games so far. They defeated a depleted Rhinos on opening day, picked a hard-fought draw against KOBs, and then drew again against the Walukuba Barbarians. This string of results not only leaves a lot to be desired from the university side but also calls for some hard questions to be asked and answered.
What’s not happening, Sharks?
Unlike the wholesale shopping spree the Sharks embarked on upon promotion to the premiership in 2025, they were more cautious and deliberate in whom they signed before the start of their second top-flight campaign. New signings like Allan Olango and Paul Mutsami hit the ground running, earning the man of the match accolades in the first two games.
Other fresh signings like Ivan Otai and Humphrey Asiligwa have slotted right in, while prop Willard Mungati has started all the games. Looking on from the outside, this squad looks like an assortment of brilliant players who have simply not yet gelled as a unit. This now raises questions for the man in charge of uniting the squad and producing results, coach Kevin Ivan Makmot.
At his disposal, Makmot has experienced players like Syrus Wathum, who has returned to play recently, but he also has players who are maybe “too experienced”, for lack of a better phrase. In the unexpected draw against Walukuba, of the eight Rugby Cranes stars in his team, only Saul Kivumbi has featured for Uganda in the 2024 and 2025 Rugby Africa Cup tournaments held in Kampala.
If some of these experienced players do not step up and uplift the Sharks, they are likely to put the job of their teammate, now gaffer, in jeopardy.
A shot at redemption
The Sharks are still a project in progress and it will take some time and soul-searching for them to get their act right, starting this weekend. They shall face a winless Warriors in a game that is supposed to lift their spirits and bring them back to winning ways.
The next game after that shall be against the newly promoted Kakira Simbas at Kyadondo, another, should be, walk in the park, on paper. This shall be the second game of 3 that the Sharks are expected to get a good result from after their two consecutive draws. The 3rd game shall be against Heathens, with the Enterprise Cup looming for the record league champions.
A much-needed break for the Sharks will allow the coaching staff to assess the squad further.