Much as it is exciting to win the two opening games of the season, including a historic triumph against Heathens, the Makerere Impis have promised to keep their feet on the ground.
The Makerere side had a comfortable win against the Warriors on Game Day 1, followed by a historic victory over the Uganda rugby league record winners, the Heathens.
The last time the Makerere side won the first two games of the season was in 2023, when they went on a 5-game winning streak and ultimately survived relegation.
Following a strong start to the season, the Impis coach, Alvin Nkamba, is happy to see the fruits of the team’s labour paying off.
“A good start to the season validates the good preparation and mental strength of the team, which gives us confidence that our systems are correct and working right,” Nkamba notes.
The Impis showed resilience and a never-say-die attitude against Heathens, winning 16-10 at the Makerere Rugby Grounds, The Graveyard.
After trailing 10-06 at halftime to the visitors, the boys in green soon responded through Darren Aine’s boot to bring the margin to a single point. Halfway through the second half, the Impis caught a lucky break when Aine pounced on a loose pass and made a run for the whitewash from his own 22-meter zone.
For Nkamba, this game was an indicator of progress since taking over as gaffer.
“The win against Heathens was long coming, and it was just a matter of time. Our results against them from the 2024 Masters Cup (38-12), then to the 2025 Uganda Cup (23-9), and now to the league, where we have now beaten them 16-10, show that we have had progressive improvement against them, and it only gets better,” he noted.
Next in line are the Entebbe Mongers, who have also had a stellar start to the season. The Impis travel to Entebbe this Saturday as league table leaders to face the team placed second on the log. Nkamba’s plan for his troops is not to get carried away by their early success.
“Well, we remain humble and fully focused on our mission and all our arsenal is now directed towards our next opponent over the weekend,” he remarked ahead of the trip.
The Mongers were involved in last season’s relegation playoffs, while the Impis have recently been promoted to the top flight. This should be the game of the weekend.