- Fixture: Uganda Women vs Rwanda Women
- Competition: 2026 Victoria Series Final
- Date: Saturday, November 14, 2026
- Time: 2 p.m. (EAT)
- Venue: Lakeside Oval, Entebbe
Uganda’s Victoria Pearls will have more than just a trophy on the line when they take on neighbours Rwanda in Saturday’s 2026 Victoria Series final, with the defending champions seeking to put their title defence back on track after a challenging second round.
The hosts will return to the Lakeside Oval in Entebbe on November 14 knowing that Rwanda have already beaten them once in the competition and will be determined to complete the job when the two sides meet at 2 p.m. East African Time.
Uganda booked their place in the final with a 14-run victory over the United States in their last group match on Thursday, November 12, while Rwanda secured their place after recovering from a 39-run defeat against Namibia to beat the same opponents by four wickets in their closing fixture.
Both sides finished the six-match group stage with four victories and two defeats, collecting eight points apiece. Uganda topped the standings, with Rwanda following closely to set up an all-East African showdown for the title.
For the Victoria Pearls, reaching the final has not been entirely straightforward. They started the competition in impressive fashion, winning all three matches in the opening round before suffering consecutive defeats against Namibia and Rwanda.
Uganda opened their campaign with a four-wicket victory over Namibia on November 6. After restricting Namibia to 73/9 in 20 overs, the hosts struggled during the chase but eventually reached 74/6 in 19.3 overs, with vice-captain Rita Musamali earning Player of the Match honours.
They followed that with a narrow six-run victory over Rwanda on November 7. Uganda posted 99/6 before their disciplined bowling, particularly during the closing overs, restricted Rwanda to 93/8.
The hosts completed a perfect first round with a seven-wicket victory over the USA on November 8. Stephanie Nampiina led the chase with 37 runs as Uganda reached 94/3 in just 15.2 overs after limiting the Americans to 93/7.
However, the momentum did not last. Uganda suffered a painful four-run defeat against Namibia on November 10 after failing to chase 82. Despite making a reasonable start, their batting fell apart, slipping to 61/7 in the 16th over before being bowled out for 77.
A day later, Rwanda handed them another setback, winning by 18 runs in a rain-reduced 18-over contest. Rwanda scored 95 before dismissing Uganda for 77, with the hosts’ top order collapsing to 37/6 and leaving the lower order with too much to do.
With qualification on the line, Uganda needed a response, and they delivered against the USA.
Nampiina produced the innings of the tournament so far, scoring 53 off 51 balls to register the first half-century of the series. Her effort helped Uganda post 105/6 before the bowlers restricted the USA to 91/9, securing a 14-run victory and a place in Saturday’s final.
The performance also underlined the importance of Nampiina to Uganda’s campaign. She has become one of the team’s most dependable batters, having earlier anchored the successful chase against the USA with 37 runs.
Captain Janet Mbabazi has been equally influential, particularly with the ball. She has provided leadership in difficult moments while delivering important breakthroughs, including 3/13 against Namibia and 3/20 against Rwanda. Her ability to control the PowerPlay and middle overs will again be important against a familiar opponent.
All-rounder Malisa Ariokot has offered valuable support in both departments. She claimed 2/14 against the USA and 1/13 against Rwanda while contributing with the bat during difficult situations, scoring 12 against Namibia and a team-high 21 against Rwanda.
Veteran spinner Consy Aweko has provided experience and control, particularly towards the end of innings. Her tight 19th over against the USA and 1/18 spell against Rwanda demonstrated her value to the bowling attack.
Musamali, meanwhile, has brought stability to the middle order. After winning Player of the Match in the opening fixture against Namibia, she scored a brisk 19 in the second meeting with Namibia before adding 22 off 28 balls against the USA, building an important partnership with Nampiina.
Sarah Walaza has also played her part with the ball, including an impressive 3/18 against Namibia and 1/16 against the USA, helping Uganda keep opposition totals under 100 on several occasions.
Rwanda will not travel far for Saturday’s final, but they will arrive with genuine belief that the trophy is within their reach.
Their campaign has been built on resilience, with four victories from six matches and an ability to recover whenever results have gone against them.
They began with a 14-run victory over the USA on November 6, posting 100/8 before bowling out the Americans for 86 in 19.2 overs.
Uganda then edged them by six runs in their first meeting, but Rwanda responded with a narrow two-run victory over the USA on November 10 after posting 107/5 and restricting their opponents to 105/4.
Their biggest statement against the hosts came on November 11. In the rain-reduced encounter, Rwanda posted 92/5 in 18 overs before holding Uganda to 74/6 to register an 18-run victory.
They suffered a 39-run defeat against Namibia, who scored 98/8 before dismissing Rwanda for 59 in 17.5 overs. However, they put that disappointment behind them in their final group fixture, bowling Namibia out for 58 before reaching 59/6 in 15.4 overs to win by four wickets.
Captain Diane Marie Bimenyimana has been at the heart of Rwanda’s campaign. The all-rounder has contributed with both bat and ball, provided steady leadership and claimed important wickets, including a Player of the Match performance against the USA. She is also among the leading bowlers in the competition.
Gisele Ishimwe has been a dependable presence at the top of the batting order, regularly anchoring Rwanda’s innings and contributing a significant share of the team’s runs.
Alice Ikuzwe has offered valuable all-round contributions, highlighted by a three-wicket haul and composed finishing runs against Namibia, while Ruth Uwimana has strengthened the bowling department with disciplined spells, including a three-wicket performance against the same opponents.
Although Uganda enjoy a better overall record, recent results suggest Saturday’s final could go either way.
The two teams have met 10 times in official Women’s T20 Internationals, with Uganda winning eight matches and Rwanda claiming two.
Uganda’s most recent victories include an eight-wicket win over Rwanda at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier on September 1, 2025, and their six-run triumph earlier in this tournament.
Rwanda, however, have already shown they can overcome the hosts, having won their second group-stage meeting by 18 runs on November 11.
That result will give the Rwandans confidence, but Uganda will take encouragement from their overall head-to-head advantage and the fact that they have responded positively after difficult moments in the tournament.
Before the main event, Namibia Women will face the USA Women in the third-place playoff at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday.