The Nile Rapids have topped the standings again after securing a third circuit win out of four stops.
Winning the Lawii Rwodi 7s in Gulu is personal for the Rapids for a couple of reasons. First, the Nile Rapids, as we have come to know them, were not properly represented in the 2025 Gulu 7s stop, emerging as the worst-performing team on that occasion. Second, they are coming off a 6th place finish at the Kyadondo 7s where they played without a huge chunk of their starting team.
On Day 1, the Rapids cruised through a Pool that had the She Wolves, Black Pearls and Ewes, topping that group to face off with the Avengers in the Semifinal. At that stage, the Rapids had their eyes set on the final. It took the individual brilliance of Fatuma Kirabo to secure the first try of the game, as she chipped the ball behind the defence line, followed by a kick and chase. Kirabo’s try was not converted, but the Rapids had to apply team effort to defend and send the game to sudden death.
In sudden death, Tina Akello’s kick was chased down by Jemima Namukose, who dramatically dotted down to send the Rapids into the final. Despite the conversion not being necessary in that scenario, Namukose nonetheless did some target practice whilst still in ecstasy.
The Nile Rapids scored first in the final through the returning Gorreti Babirye, and her try was converted by Akello. However, the momentum soon turned in favour of the Thunderbirds, whose persistence and pressure paid off through Proscovia Mukyala’s try and Grace Nabaggala’s conversion. With the scores tied at 7 apiece at halftime, the game was for everyone to win.
Just when the tight affair looked like it would go into sudden death, the Nile Rapids produced a moment of magic. As the fulltime hooter blew in the background, the Nile Rapids managed to retain their lineout through, with the ball going to the midfield to find Claire Mutesi, who combined with Shaine Babirye to release Unity Namulala on the wing.
Despite the defensive efforts of Nabaggala, Namulala was simply too fast for the Thunderbirds as she went over for the most important try of the weekend in the women’s category of the Lawii Rwodi 7s. The Nile Rapids now return to the helm of the National 7s as we go into a two-week break before the Kyabazinga 7s.