The Nile Rapids have started the 2026 National 7s Series with back-to-back victories at the Stone City 7s and the Rujumba 7s.
The team from Jinja has created a stark contrast to how they began the 2025 season and how the 2026 campaign is going so far.
Last year, the Rapids were totally out of action in the first circuit at the Coronation 7s, then were represented by an unfamiliar bunch of players at the Gulu 7s, where they came last overall. The Rapids then redeemed themselves at the Entebbe 7s by presenting a full-strength team that won the tournament.
In 2026, the Nile Rapids have won at home in the first circuit to set the tone in the National 7s.
According to Tina Akello, the captain of the Nile Rapids, winning the Stone City 7s was a dream come true.
“A home win means everything. Playing in front of our people, with the home crowd behind us, gave us confidence. It shows the work we’ve been putting in at training is paying off. The goal is consistency. One home win was good, but we need to back it up in away circuits also,” Akello notes.
After securing the Rujumba 7s victory, Akello and her teammates have vowed to keep their eyes on the prize.
“The focus has to shift fast now. We don’t get to celebrate long, and we are sure the next circuit is going to be tough. For us now, it’s about recovery of the bodies and mindset, then we’ll look at what worked over the weekend and what we got wrong,” she remarks.
As the National 7s take a short break to make way for the Barthes Cup, teams have retreated to go back on the drawing board and prepare for the remaining 4 circuits.
For the Nile Rapids, staying competitive and consistent is the goal.
“Rapids’ target is to compete in every circuit and be in the conversation till the end. Beyond that, we want to build an identity as a hardworking and disciplined team. Long term, it’s about developing players and making Rapids a club everyone will wish to play for,” notes Akello.
For the remainder of the National 7s, Akello aims to keep the standards high and lead by example on and off the field.
Additionally, as captain, she wants to keep her teammates united and make sure no team is comfortable playing against the Rapids.
“I want us to be the team that fights to the 14th minute, every game,” she remarked.