The Black Pirates have officially started their campaign for the Enterprise Cup final to be held at RFUEA Grounds in Nairobi.
The final will be hosted by the Kenya Rugby Union (KRU) for 2026, with the next year’s edition final to be held in Kampala, Uganda.
The Pirates sailed to the final by upsetting KCB Rugby at Wankulukuku, before brushing off the Nondies at the Kings Park Arena, Bweyogerere.
The launch of the road to the finale was graced by the Uganda Rugby Union (URU) Vice President – Commercial, Eric Butime, who applauded the work done by the Pirates to get to this stage of the Enterprise Cup.
“Here we are, with a Ugandan team in the final. Believe me, that was a permutation that most believed wouldn’t be possible at the start. So, well done to Pirates for representing,” Butime noted.
The return of the Enterprise Cup was a joint effort from URU and KRU, and Butime believes that Uganda has been the biggest winner from this arrangement. He highlighted three areas where Ugandan rugby has made strides with the return to the Enterprise Cup. These are: Preparation for the national team, inspiration to the players, and commercial viability of rugby as a product.
At the heart of Pirates’ success is captain Frank Kidega’s leadership. The lock/flank knows what it means to don the Pirates jersey, and he believes the Enterprise Cup is good for the growth of his team.
“This is a good experience for Pirates, a lot of young players have got an opportunity to test themselves against the best,” Kidega notes.
The regional stage has unlocked a new level to Pirates rugby, a change Kidega has welcomed with both hands.
“Standards have definitely gone up, from the way we train to the way we play. We’ve upped the intensity of our training sessions because we are preparing to play semi-pros at that level,” Kidega remarks.
The Enterprise Cup final shall be held on May 30 at the RFUEA Grounds in Nairobi. The majority of the Pirates and Ugandan fans are expected to travel on the evening of May 28 by road, according to the fans’ coordinator, Daniel Abaasa.