Black Pirates have made up for receiving a walkover win against Kakira by thrashing Warriors and Hippos, both bottom-four sides, with bonus points.
Defeating the Warriors 83-3 at the Kings Park Arena, followed by a 71-7 victory against the Hippos in Jinja, is a statement from the Pirates, capping off the regular season with a blast.
Up next, they host a Walukuba Barbarians side that made the historical Heathens battle for a 25-20 win at Kyadondo, thanks to a last-minute try from Malcom Okello.
The Pirates have achieved these high scorers while routinely rotating their squad, handing out debuts to youngsters like Elijah “Uncle Jesa” Kantiti and Carl Ivan Ainamani.
When they host Walukuba this Saturday, it shall be another opportunity to further build on their momentum going into the playoffs.
“We wanted to get on top of the table, so we made sure we got in as many points as possible while conceding less. Additionally, the rotation of players in and out has brought some energy in the camp,” notes Isaac Massanganzira, one of the player leaders at the club.
The Walukuba Barbarians are not unfamiliar opponents for the Pirates. The two sides played against each other in four interesting encounters in 2025, with the last meeting being a 98-10 victory for the Pirates in the Uganda Cup.
For Massa, the encounter on Saturday is going to be more about aiming to improve the areas where they need to do more work and make sure they get a good win before the playoffs.
Going into the last game day of the regular season, coupled with the way the championship table is set up, it is likely that the top-seeded Pirates will once again meet the 8th-placed Walukuba in the title playoffs.
In the first leg, the Barbarians put up a spirited fight and lost 27-20 at home in Jinja, before walking off the pitch in the return leg in the 69th minute with the score at 36-06 for the Pirates.
“Walukuba is a tricky team, and we have to be fully ready and well prepared in all the games. We met them in the quarterfinal last year, so we know what to expect from them,” notes Massanganzira, with caution.